Love Beyond Reasons
by MiraculousDragonMaster
Summary: Three worlds, yet they all have the same destiny. What if the hyenas were allies with the Outsiders, and a certain lion got his scar differently? What if the great scheme involved both Kovu and a reluctant Jasiri? Well, Kiara and Kion must learn what it truly means to be one and understand "sisi ni sawa" to stop this impending war with the power of upendi. AU!
1. Prologue

Love Beyond Reasons

**A/N: Okay, I saw the "Lion King" live-action remake about a couple of weeks ago, and I have to admit, it was actually pretty awesome. It reminded me of how much I loved the movie when I was younger, watching it with my family over and over again.**

**I have been reading some stories about what might have been different if Kion was there during the events of "The Lion King 2", and I know that it may not exactly be original, but I thought I could have my own twist on it.**

**Now, let's start with a beginning that almost everyone already knows. And action!**

Prologue

_Ingonyama nengw' enamabala.  
__Ingonyama nengw' enamabala.  
__Ingonyama nengw' enamabala.  
__Ingonyama nengw' enamabala._

_Night  
And the spirit of life  
Calling (Oh, oh, iyo)  
Mamela. (Oh, oh, iyo)_

_Ubukhosi bo khokho  
We ndodana ye sizwe sonke.  
_  
It was a time of great celebration in the Pride Lands. As the sun was beginning to rise up in the African sky, marking a new day out on the savannah grasslands, animals of all different kinds from all around began gathering over at Pride Rock. All the way from the tiniest ant to the most fierce predators in the land.

_Wait.  
There's no mountain too great.  
Hear these words and have faith. (Oh, oh, iyo)  
Oh, (Oh, oh, iyo)  
Have faith.__  
_  
As they did so, there was a gentle breeze that blew along towards the giant landmark, having tiny scraps of leaves and other tiny debris floating with it. As it did, three figures appeared on the long ledge that jutted out towards the horizon.

One of them was the royal mjuzi named Rafiki, a wise old mandrill, holding his bakora staff in one of his hands. Sometimes, it would seem like he had lost his bananas. But he was not to be taken lightly, for he knows very much about the Circle of Life, what can and/or must be done to protect it and to make sure that the Circle stays in balance.

_He lives in you.  
He lives in me.  
He watches over  
Everything we see._

_Into the water,  
Into the truth,  
In your reflection.  
He lives in you.  
_  
The other two figures on the peak were the King and Queen of the Pride Lands, the Lion King Simba and his mate, Nala, in all of their glory. Each of them carefully carried in their mouths, by the scruff, a newborn cub. Twins.

Nala carried their daughter, who was the older one of the two of them, and who was destined to become the future queen of the Pride Lands, and Simba carried their son, who was the younger one. Beside the royal family was the royal majordomo, a hornbill named Zazu, who had flown in from above to see the new royal cubs.

The new princess had a pale peach pelt, matching the tiny tuft of fur on her thin tail, looking a lot like her mother, but she had a bit of a golden hue to her fur which she got from her father. She also had her father's deep auburn eyes and a tiny dark pinkish nose.

The newborn prince however, looked much more like his father, having pale golden fur with slightly darker spots on his ankles and on his lower back, and a tiny mane tuft on his head, with a little bright red tuft that is on his tail. But instead, he had light hazel eyes, which Simba recalled were similar to his father and the king before him, Mufasa's, eyes, and his little nose was a lighter pink than his sister's. And because he was a male, he had tiny white whiskers on his muzzle.

_Ingonyama nengw' enamabala.  
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala.__  
_  
Rafiki put his staff down on the ground, proudly hugged the new parents, and then gently took both cubs from them in his hands. Zazu bowed respectfully to the newborn cubs, and then Rafiki lifted both of them high up in the air for all of the Pride Lands to see them.

All the animals that had gathered around cried and jumped for joy at the sight of their new princess and prince as they were placed under a bright beam of sunlight. From high in the heavens, even Mufasa himself looked down with pride at the two new cubs, who were smiling with wonder at the many creatures below them.

_He lives in you._

Everyone that was on Pride Rock could feel the ethereal presence surround them, even Simba and Nala, but the cubs looked around in confusion at what was going on as that reverent breeze gently blew around them. The princess had tried to catch it with a paw, as did the prince, but he soon stopped when he felt like there was someone watching him and his sister from where they can't see.  
_  
He lives in you.  
He lives in me.  
He watches over  
Everything we see._

_Into the water,  
Into the truth,  
In your reflection.  
He lives in you._

_Ingonyama nengw' enamabala.  
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala._

_He lives in you. (__Ingonyama nengw' enamabala.)  
__He lives in you. (__Ingonyama nengw' enamabala.)  
__He lives in you._

Once the cheering had died down and the animals bowed down to pay their respects to the new royal family, Rafiki carefully lowered the cubs down and placed the royal marking on their foreheads while both parents looked down at them with pride. But they weren't the only ones who were watching the tender scene.

Simba's old friends, the meerkat Timon and the warthog Pumbaa, the former on the latter's back, felt so happy and proud to see the touching scene as Simba and Nala each gently nuzzled each one of their cubs. The cubs both purred happily at their parents' affection and returned the nuzzles.

"Look at the little guys, Pumbaa." Timon cooed at how cute the little ones were, thinking that both of the new cubs were boys. "Chips off the old block. And you know who's gonna raise them?" He asked, looking down at his friend.

"Uh, their parents?" Pumbaa guessed.

"Okay, yeah, sure, technically." Timon conceded with a mutter. "But who's gonna teach them the really important stuff? Like how to belch?" He demonstrated by letting loose one of his own. "And how to dig for grubs?"

Timon then jumped off of Pumbaa's back and onto the rocky ground. "I'm telling you, Pumbaa. It's gonna be like old times. You, me, and the little guys." He gestured up to the cubs, who were looking down at the meerkat with infant curiosity.

Rafiki chuckled at the meerkat's enthusiasm before looking back down at the cubs. "One of them is a girl." He said.

"Guy and girl." Timon corrected, before he and Pumbaa came to that realization like a coconut had dropped on their heads.

"GIRL?!" Both of them exclaimed, before they both fainted onto their backs with a "Oy."

Simba and Nala both laughed at their reactions while the cubs just looked at what had happened with newborn confusion, and then shared a confused glance with each other. It seems like they were born into quite a curious family and an even more interesting world.

* * *

**A/N: Not too bad for a newbie in this community? Well, don't worry. Things will start to become different in a couple of chapters, I promise.**

**Until then, I'll see y'all! Please leave a review about what you think.**

**Got to fly! ;)**


	2. Siblings' Day Out

Love Beyond Reasons

**A/N: Okay, this scene is not exactly that original either. But, what else can I do about it other than add Kion?**

**So, let's just get on with it. Roll it!**

Chapter 1

Siblings' Day Out

It had been at least two months since the birth of the princess and prince of the Pride Lands. They have been named Kiara and Kion, respectively. Nala was at first concerned for her son, knowing that her daughter had her destiny already chosen for her, but she wasn't entirely sure about the future for her youngest cub. Simba assured his mate that Kion will eventually find his own destiny, just as Kiara will come to understand hers.

One particular day, the two cubs got out of the safety of Pride Rock and eagerly looked out towards the Pride Lands. No matter how many times that they would see it from this vantage point, it would take their breath away.

By now, both of them had gotten a little bit bigger in height for two-month-old cubs, but not quite in stature yet, as Kion still had that tiny mane tuft on his head that hasn't grown out that much during two months. But it did gain a bright red color, matching his tail.

"Wow!" Both cubs exclaimed at the sight of the savannah, and then tried to jump off of the ledge to start exploring the great beyond.

But they were stopped by their father, who had placed his giant paw in front of them, and then gently grabbed Kiara by the scruff and placed her back on the rock, with Kion following. Both of the cubs chuckled playfully at the sight of their dad.

"Where are you two going off in such a hurry?" Simba asked playfully before grabbing Kiara again, but this time with his paw.

"Daddy!" Kiara exclaimed while giggling as her father went to grab her brother with his other paw. "Let go!"

"Dad!" Kion chided playfully as both he and his sister got free by wiggling out of their father's hold.

Simba chuckled. "Now, I just want you two to be careful."

However, the cubs weren't paying attention, and both had their eyes on a pretty butterfly that was fluttering around their heads. They started to go after it, trying to pounce on it and growling playfully. But their father got their attention back when he gently placed a firm paw on their tails, stopping them in their little game and letting them fall flat on their stomachs.

"Kids, are you listening?" He asked them. Now, Kion was giving his full attention to his father, while his sister, Kiara had a bored expression on her face. "Accidents can happen. You can easily get-"

"Hurt or stepped on or even get lost." Kiara repeated her father's words.

She had heard this speech multiple times before. Almost every time whenever she and Kion want to go out of Pride Rock on their own. Her brother, on the other paw, he is always the one who tends to stick to their father's rules, no matter how many times he hears them. Sometimes, she even wonders how he doesn't talk back when he heard the rules for the hundredth time.

"Exactly." Simba said. "And I want you two to stay within sight of Pride Rock-"

"At all times." Kiara repeated again. "I know. And if we see any strangers, don't talk to them. Come straight home. Okay, okay. Can we go now?"

"Please?" Both cubs asked their father, their signature smiles on their faces that they inherited from both of their parents.

Simba gave them a chuckle, recalling when he was in a similar scenario as a cub himself. "Very funny, you two." He said.

Just then, their mother, Nala, came up beside their dad, chuckling softly. "Mind your father, kids." She said.

"Yes, Mom." The cubs chorused with sheepish grins.

"And stay away from the Outlands." Simba said, just as Zazu flew by and landed near the cubs.

"Nothing there except for backstabbing, murderous Outsiders." The hornbill said with a scowl and rolled his eyes.

"Zazu's right." Simba said, looking back in that direction with a slight scornful look. "You can't turn your back on them."

Kion nodded obediently at his father's words, even though he was a little confused by why his father hated these "Outsiders." Kiara also seemed puzzled, but she was the only one to voice it.

"Really? How come?" She asked.

Simba sighed. "Never mind." He said. "Just run along now."

"But Dad," Kion began.

"You'll understand someday." Simba said simply. "Go on now."

"Dad." The two cubs chorused with a smile, before nuzzling their parents and then running off.

"And stay on the path I've marked for you!" Simba called out after them.

Nala chuckled. "Simba, who do they remind of?" She asked. Her mate was confused by what she meant, so he asked her. Nala smiled. "They're just like us when we were young." She said, nuzzling under his chin.

"Exactly." Simba said, remembering their cubhood misadventures. "Do you remember the dangers we got ourselves in?"

But then, Nala pinned him down on his back with a playful grin. "You mean the dangers you put us in." She corrected him. The two of them chuckled before nuzzling each other. Nala smiled down at her mate. "They'll be fine." She assured him.

Then, she got off of him, letting him back up, and then went back inside Pride Rock. But Simba wasn't quite reassured by his mate's words. He just had to make sure that his cubs were safe. He knew that Kion would try to obey his rules, but Kiara can get her brother roped into her little schemes easily.

"Timon, Pumbaa." He called out to his old friends. "Come here."

The meerkat and warthog were on another side of Pride Rock, playing with their adoptive nephew, a little honey badger named Bunga. Right from the start, when Bunga came into the family, he and Kion got along really well. The little badger had blue-gray fur with white stripes and quills, sharp claws, and big black eyes.

"Good morning, mon capitaine!" Timon cheerfully greeted as he and Pumbaa came up to Simba, with both Timon and Bunga on Pumbaa's back.

"I want you two to keep a close watch on Kiara and Kion." He said to them, making sure that no one was eavesdropping. "You know they're bound to run off."

"Don't worry, Simba." Timon said confidently. "We'll be on them like stink on a warthog."

"Hey!" Pumbaa exclaimed, not liking Timon's comparison.

"It's a hard truth, Pumbaa. Live with it." Timon said.

"Guys, I'm counting on you." Simba said, breaking up the would-be argument. "Danger can be lurking behind every rock." After he said that, the king left the ledge and back into Pride Rock.

Both Timon and Pumbaa caught onto what Simba was implying and then began following the cubs from a good distance. Bunga however, was confused. "What does that mean?" He asked his uncles.

* * *

**A/N: I think in a few more chapters, things will start to become more interesting, I promise.**

**Until then, I'll see y'all! Please leave a review about what you think.**

**Got to fly! ;)**


	3. Uncertainty

Love Beyond Reasons

**A/N: Here we go with Chapter 2, which really needs no introduction either. Roll it!**

Chapter 2

Uncertainty

Meanwhile, Kiara and Kion were still chasing after the same butterfly from earlier. But it still managed to flitter away from their playful pounces.

"Wait. Come back." Kiara called after it. "We just wanna play."

Kion jumped up to catch it, but he missed it again. "So close!" He said.

Finally, the butterfly had landed on a nearby rock. The two cubs saw their chance, and they crouched down low.

"The mighty hunters have cornered their prey." Kiara whispered dramatically.

Both of them growled playfully as they slowly inched their way closer. Finally, they both pounced, but they missed the colorful insect again. Kiara had managed to latch onto the rock, but Kion wasn't so lucky, having headbutted into it instead.

Kiara giggled as her brother rubbed a sore spot on his head. "You okay?" She asked.

Kion shook his head to get rid of the dizziness. "I'm fine." He said. "You always say I have a thick skull."

His sister giggled again. "True." She said.

Then, both of them looked over the rock and saw something quite interesting. At the horizon, there were barren and sandy canyonlands, which seemed devoid of life. It was much different than the vibrance of the Pride Lands.

Both of the cubs' eyes widened at the sight, Kion in surprise, and Kiara in amazement. "Whoa." She exclaimed, climbing up onto the rock to get a better view. Her brother only followed her to stay close. "Cool! The Outlands."

Kion gulped nervously, looking behind him and seeing that he could only see the peak of Pride Rock. "We're too far from the path Dad told us to stay on." He said. "We should probably head back now."

He stood up and got ready to get off the rock, but then stopped when he saw that his sister didn't move an inch. "Kiara, let's go!" He urged.

"Come on, Kion." Kiara said, her eyes still glued to the wastelands in the distance. "I wonder what's out there?"

Kion rolled his eyes. "And they tell me that I'm the younger one." He muttered under his breath, quiet enough so that his sister didn't hear his snarky comment.

Suddenly, there was something quietly rustling in the grass. Kion's ears perked up at the faint sound, but Kiara didn't, as she was too enthralled by the view of the Outlands. He slowly turned around and saw that there was something coming towards them.

"Kiara, look out!" He shouted, and he immediately jumped off the rock.

Kiara was about to ask her brother why, but then she heard the rustling. She turned around and screamed in fright as Timon, Pumbaa and Bunga suddenly appeared in front of her. They started to scream as well, but when Kiara tried to back off to give herself time to calm down, she lost her footing and fell into the pond below.

Kion rushed to the edge of it. "Kiara!" He exclaimed worriedly.

"Don't worry, Kiara!" Pumbaa called after her as Timon and Bunga got off his back, the latter jumping next to Kion. "Uncle Pumbaa's coming!" He then cannonballed into the pond, creating a mighty splash, soaking everyone.

"Oh, no!" Timon exclaimed as the two younger animals shook themselves to get rid of the water. The meerkat then cleared his throat and began talking as if Simba was right there.

"'_Gee, Simba. The good news is we found your cubs.'_" He said, pretending how that possible conversation will go. "'_The bad news is we dropped a warthog on one of them. You got a problem with that?'_"

He had said that last part nervously. Kion imagined that if Timon were to say that to his father, he would definitely not be pleased. Bunga, however, laughed at the "dropped a warthog" comment.

"That's a good one." However, he shut up when he saw the unamused glare of his best friend.

Pumbaa was looking around in the pond for the older cub. "Kiara? Kiara?" He called, not seeing that there were bubbles underneath him.

"Pumbaa!" Timon called down to him. "Let me define..._babysitting!_"

The warthog caught the implication and quickly removed himself from his spot, and Kiara came up to the surface, coughing for some much needed air. She glared at the African pig.

"Sorry." He apologized with a sheepish grin. They then both got up and out of the pond, Kiara immediately shaking the water off her fur.

"Now, Princess Kiara and Prince Kion, as Simba's cubs, you two know better than to go off on your own." Pumbaa said as he and the eldest cub went back onto the ledge where the others were. "You could've gotten hurt."

"Hurt?" Timon started panicking as he quickly inspected the cubs, Kion first, and then Kiara. "Oh, Simba will kill us! You didn't slip a disk, did you? Catch a fever? Get a hangnail?" He picked up Kiara's paw to see, but she pulled it away.

"Timon!" She said, annoyed.

"I had one once." The meerkat continued.

"Very painful." Pumbaa chimed in.

"Excruciating." Then, Timon held up a large palm leaf over Kiara's head, giving her some shade, much to her annoyance, Kion's confusion, and Bunga's amusement. "Darling, with your complexion, you should stay out of the sun." He said.

But the young female cub just swatted away the leaf. "What? Do you wanna wrinkle?" Timon asked.

"Would somebody please just listen to me?" Kiara pleaded.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't listening." Timon said nonchalantly. "What did you say, Princess?"

"Timon!" Kion called out annoyedly to him, getting next to his sister, preparing to pounce.

"Whoa, easy, Kion!" Timon held up his paws in surrender. "No need to put on the claws, little prince."

Kiara huffed. "Kion's not just a prince, you know. And I'm not just a princess." She said. "That's only half of who we are." Her brother though, tilted his head at her in confusion.

"Oh! Uh, who are the other halves?" Pumbaa asked them. But neither cub could answer him.

Kiara wasn't sure who the other part of herself was, and Kion wasn't sure of either half of him. He always thought that being a prince was just a title, not who he really was. His sister already had her destiny, but he wasn't sure about his own place in the Circle of Life.

"Well, while you two figure it out, let's eat!" Timon suggested.

He, Pumbaa and Bunga went over to a nearby log, and with Timon snapping his claws, Pumbaa lifted the log, revealing tons of grubs underneath. Bunga began to eat the many creepy crawlies sloppily, while Timon picked up a leaf that was crawling with bugs.

"Grubs!" He said.

"The other white meat!" Pumbaa added.

"And high in protein!" Timon held out the leaf to the cubs, but they both backed away with disgust.

"Ewww! Gross!" Kiara exclaimed.

Kion looked like he was going to gag himself, but he was still going to be polite. "Um, I'll pass."

"No?" Timon asked. "How about you two fellas?" He presented the grubs to Pumbaa and Bunga, who quickly went at them.

"I love grubs!" Pumbaa exclaimed.

"Love! Not like!" Both the meerkat and warthog said at the same time.

Pumbaa grabbed one bug with his mouth, and then spit it back out onto the leaf, the remains having excess saliva all over them.

"Oh! You always do that!" Timon complained. "You take a bite out of every one and then put it back! It drives me crazy."

"But you can't tell from the outside which ones are the real slimy ones." Pumbaa explained.

"Slimy!" Timon asked, sounding shocked before quickly regaining his composure. "Ah, Pumbaa, my corpulent compadre. It's the crunchy ones that make the meal." He said.

Kiara rolled her eyes while Kion just sat there, looking a little bit uncomfortable at the fight that was starting between the two friends, both of them yelling "Slimy!" or "Crunchy!" at the other one, trying to get their point across.

The eldest cub turned back to the colorless Outlands over in the distance. Kion caught her gaze, which was full of wonder and curiosity, and he narrowed his eyes at her.

"I know what you're thinking, sis, and that's a really bad idea." He said to her, not liking where this was heading.

"Come on, Kion." Kiara said, rolling her eyes at how her younger brother can be such a worrywart. "Who knows what's out there."

"Exactly." Kion argued. "We don't know, so we shouldn't go."

"Come on, Kion." Bunga said, nudging his friend's shoulder. "You know that deep down, you actually do want to go there and check it out. I'll keep my uncles busy, while you two go explore. Just promise when you go next time, you take me along."

Kion's jaw dropped at his best friend supporting his sister's crazy idea. Well, he too was a little curious about what was out there in the Outlands, and why his father forbade him and Kiara from going there. But if they did go over there, they were going to get in so much trouble.

When he looked back at Kiara, she had a smug and victorious grin on her muzzle. She knew she won this round. She then gave her brother a pleading look, trying to break through to him.

The younger cub finally huffed in defeat after a few seconds of tense silence. "Fine!" He said, making Kiara smile more genuinely and excitedly. "But only for an hour. That will give us plenty of time to get back home before anyone suspects a thing. Deal?" At least he'll have this one condition before his sister got too excited about their little rebellious act.

"Deal." Kiara agreed, too happy to be bothered by her brother's condition, and the two cubs swatted their paws against each other's, the action a little bit like a high-five.

Bunga gave his best friend a thumbs-up with his claws before going back to Timon and Pumbaa, who were still arguing. The two cubs quietly crawled away from them, and then made a break towards the Outlands.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, the next chapter is where things will start to get more exciting.**

**Until then, I'll see y'all! Please leave a review about what you think.**

**Got to fly! ;)**


	4. Kiara Meets Kovu

Love Beyond Reasons

**A/N: Now this is where things will divert a bit, but not big enough still. Well, hopefully this whole thing of basically following the entire movie, word for word, will end soon, so that things will get more interesting.**

**So let's get on with Chapter 3. Roll it!**

Chapter 3

Kiara Meets Kovu

The two young cubs continued on their short little trek towards the Outlands. Kiara was getting more excited as the canyonlands got closer. Kion, even though he was nervous, was starting to get a little more curious about the lands around him. Soon, they came to a border, which was divided by a large log that served as a bridge across a river.

"Are you sure we can't turn back now, Kiara?" Kion asked her.

"No way, little brother." Kiara said, and she jumped onto the log to cross it. Kion rolled his eyes with a sigh and then followed her.

When they got near the end of the log, Kiara tripped over the edge, and since Kion was a little too close to her, he was also knocked off the log and both cubs tumbled into the Outlands. The eldest cub managed to stop by unintentionally knocking down somebody, but Kion wasn't so lucky, and he turned to roll deeper into the Outlands in another direction, unbeknownst to his sister.

Kiara shook herself out of her dizziness, but then quickly jumped back onto her paws when she heard a fierce yet childish growl right next to her. She had bumped into another lion cub, who seemed like he was about a month older than her. He had dark auburn-brown fur, a darker brown mane tuft on his head and tail, and even some on his leg joints, a black nose, and piercing green eyes. He also had patches of light brown on his belly and paws.

"Who are you, Pride Lander?" He asked Kiara, growling at her with suspicion.

He started to come closer to her, but she backed away until she tried to jump away from him, not turning her back to him. The cub still tried to intimidate her, so she moved to a different spot. The two continued this a couple more times before the cub finally stopped growling.

"What are you doing?" He asked her, a brow raised at her curious behavior.

Kiara narrowed her eyes at him fiercely. "Our father says to never turn your back on an Outsider." She said defensively.

"_'Our?'_" The cub repeated, seeing no one else around but the female Pride Lander cub in front of him.

"Me and my-" Kiara turned to the side to expect Kion there beside her, but then froze when she saw that he wasn't. She frantically scanned the area around her, but there was no sign of her brother. "Kion?" She called out. "Kion!"

"Who's he?" The cub asked.

"My little brother." Kiara explained, still looking around. "Where did he go? He's the one who sticks to our father's rules, and yet he's the one who gets lost in the Outlands?"

"Oh, then maybe you should follow his example." The cub teased her. "Always doing what Daddy says."

"No way!" Kiara retorted back.

"That'd be priceless. Daddy's little girl!" He chuckled, making Kiara grimace deeper.

The cub then walked onto another log that was on the river. "An Outsider doesn't need anyone." He boasted. "I take care of myself."

"Really?" Kiara asked, impressed as she joined him on the log. "Cool!"

The cub slightly turned around to give her a smug look, but then it quickly turned into a look of fear and he screamed when he saw something coming from behind Kiara. She turned around to see what it was and then screamed as well when they both realized that they were sitting on a hungry crocodile, who was about to snap its jaws on her. She quickly jumped out of the way before it did so.

"Run!" She yelled. The two cubs immediately jumped onto a large rock sticking out of the water. But the crocodile was following them.

"This way!" Kiara shouted as they jumped again, out of the croc's jaws. The two cubs leaped across stones until they stopped to rest on another log.

The male cub laughed breathlessly. "That was a close one." He said.

Kiara chuckled. "Yeah." She said.

But then, the log under them started to slowly rise above the water. It was another crocodile! And this time, there was an entire float of them! Both of the cubs screamed as they once more began jumping to evade the many jaws.

Kiara managed to latch onto a nearby branch that was sticking out of the water, but the other cub was still running for his life. "Hey! What about me?" She called to him.

"I'll distract them!" The cub answered, jumping across the backs of the crocodiles. "Run!"

The cub tried to divert the crocodiles' attention as he evaded their snapping jaws, but then, one of the crocs gave him the slip and he fell into the water. The cub began treading water to try and keep himself afloat, but there was no way he could swim fast enough to avoid the crocodiles.

Kiara was swiping her claws at a crocodile who was trying to get closer to her to keep it at bay, but then, all of the crocs saw that the other cub was in the water, with little chance of escape. They then all started to swim towards him, ready to make a meal out of him.

"Look out!" Kiara warned him.

The cub frighteningly swam towards another branch that was also protruding out of the water, but a croc was closing in on him. The crocodilian opened its jaws, and the cub braced himself to be eaten.

But then, Kiara jumped onto the croc, forcing its jaws closed. "Move it!" She said to him.

Both of the cubs jumped onto the branch and learned that it led back onto land and above the river. They quickly bounded on it, dodging croc jaws as they did. The cub managed to jump back onto land, and Kiara quickly followed suit as a crocodile snapped its jaws on the branch she was just on, breaking it into pieces.

Both cubs panted for breath, knowing that they were safe now. Cautiously, both of them looked down towards the river and saw that the crocs were fruitlessly piling up, trying to follow them, but to no avail.

"I did it." Kiara whispered breathlessly, realizing what she just did. "I did it!" She stuck her tongue out at the crocodiles, making the cub next to her smirk and laugh victoriously.

Both cubs laughed breathlessly as they moved away from the bank of the river. "Whoa, man!" Kiara exclaimed excitedly as she began to recall their little adventure. "Did you see the size of those teeth? They were going-"

As Kiara was animatedly retelling their little escapade, with the cub watching her amused, they didn't notice that a lioness was watching them from the grass. She had pale cream fur, sinister amber eyes, and a darker stripe going down her head and back. She even had a notch in her right ear.

"We make such a good team." Kiara said. "And you...you were really brave."

The cub was surprised that she actually said that to him. But then, he smiled genuinely at her. "Yeah." He agreed. "You were pretty brave too. My name's Kovu."

Kiara giggled at him. "I'm Kiara." She introduced herself with a coy grin, and leaning a little closer to Kovu, who backed away nervously, looking a little flustered from her proximity.

From her hiding spot, the lioness growled when Kiara said her name.

But then, Kiara turned rigid. "Oh, no! Kion!" She remembered that her brother wasn't with her, and she looked from side to side, hoping that he was somewhere in sight. "I gotta find him! Make sure he isn't hurt!"

"Whoa, okay." Kovu reassured her before she continued panicking. He had to admit, he admired Kiara's protectiveness over her brother. She seemed to care about him a lot. "I'll help you look. This is my home turf after all, so I know it like the back of my paw. He couldn't have gotten very far."

"Really? Thank you!" Kiara said happily.

"Sure. What does your brother look like?" Kovu asked.

"He looks a lot like my father." Kiara explained. "Yellow fur and a tiny red mane."

"Okay, then." Kovu said. "Let's go."

But before the two could even take a step, Simba jumped in, shielding his daughter, and roared loudly. Then, the lioness that was hiding in the grass quickly confronted him, protecting Kovu, and roared back at him. The two adult lions growled at each other, protecting one of the cubs.

"Zira." Simba growled.

"Simba." She returned the resent.

Just then, three more lionesses from the Pride Lands appeared, including Nala, whose eyes were quickly scanning the area upon realizing that only one of her cubs were present. Timon and Pumbaa were present as well.

"Nala." Zira said curtly.

"Zira." Nala answered back with the same hateful glare that her mate was giving the dull-colored lioness.

"Timon. Pumbaa." The meerkat said, gesturing to himself and his friend. "Great. Now that we all know each other... GET OUT OF OUR PRIDE LANDS!"

"Your Pride Lands?" Zira snarled, making Timon quickly hide behind Pumbaa. "These lands belonged to Scar."

"I banished you from the Pride Lands." Simba said. "Now, you and your young cub, get out."

Both Kiara and Kovu shrank back at the King's harsh words.

"Oh. Haven't you met my son, Kovu?" Zira asked. "He was hand-chosen by Scar to follow in his paw prints and become King." She explained, making Simba growl and the cub in question shudder in fright.

Timon snickered. "That's not a king. That's a fuzzy maraca."

But Zira ignored his quip. "Kovu was the last born before you exiled us to the Outlands." She said. "Where we have little food, less water." She added that last part dramatically.

"You know the penalty for returning to the Pride Lands." Simba said, ignoring Zira's over exaggeration.

"But the child does not!" Zira argued back at him. "However, if you need your pound of flesh, here." She pushed Kovu closer to Simba. The poor cub was quivering visibly.

Simba looked at Zira with bewilderment, who was smirking at him. Simba narrowed his eyes at the malicious lioness.

"Take him and get out." He said, turning around. "We're finished here." He then went over to Kiara and picked her up by the scruff.

"Oh no, Simba." Zira said, getting his attention back. "We have barely begun." She stared down sinisterly at Kiara and chuckled, making the cub flinch. She then turned around and picked up Kovu by his midsection.

As both prides left the scene, the cubs didn't remove their eyes from each other. "Bye." Kiara whispered.

"Bye." Kovu said quietly. The two didn't stop staring until they were out of sight.

Once all of the Pride Landers were over the hill and out of ear shot, Simba handed Kiara to Nala, who took her daughter carefully. "Kiara, where's Kion?" He asked.

"I-I don't know." Kiara admitted. "He was right behind me, I swear!" Tears were coming to her eyes, worried about her brother.

Simba looked down for a second, and then back up, not wanting to fear the worst. "Split up." He quietly ordered to the others. "Find my son."

They all nodded in obedience as they each took a different path along the border in search of the little prince.

* * *

**A/N: Next chapter is completely original, and I think it's pretty awesome. I hope you guys think so too.**

**Until then, I'll see y'all! Please leave a review about what you think. They are highly appreciated.**

**Got to fly! ;)**


	5. Kion Meets Jasiri

Love Beyond Reasons

**A/N: Finally! Completely original chapter. I hope you guys are ready for it. And if you're confused, right now Kion looks like how he is when he was a baby.**

**So let's begin Chapter 4! Roll it!**

Chapter 4

Kion Meets Jasiri

Meanwhile, deeper within the Outlands, Kion had shaken off the dizziness that he got from his own fall, quickly realized his current situation and went off to try and find his sister. Or at least, a way back to the Pride Lands. But after a few minutes of walking through the dry canyons, he soon realized that he was lost.

"Just great!" He snapped. "I knew this was a bad idea, but _no_, Kiara wouldn't listen to me! And yet, I'm the one who gets lost in the Outlands?! Just perfect!"

Suddenly, chips of rocks came tumbling down near Kion. He jumped away, and then started to sniff them curiously. They couldn't have just fallen by themselves. Someone had to have knocked them down, purposefully or unintentionally.

"Boo!" A chipper voice exclaimed, making Kion jump again with a yelp. He looked up and what he saw made him shudder.

A hyena.

True, it was a just hyena pup, a female one, and she looked about his age. But he still remembered what his father had said about them, and they were not very pleasant. Call him crazy, but this hyena looked like she was teasing him in a playful way, not like she was going to attack him.

The young pup had gray fur with a purplish tint to it, slightly darker spots all over her body with little stripes on her back and face, and a short black and purple mane on her back that only reached the nape of her neck, matching her tail. Her eyes were big and violet, and her nose was black, matching her small paws. She even had little spots across her face and two little bangs over her eyes.

"Scared ya, didn't I?" She asked the lion cub with a snarky little smile.

Kion readied himself in a fighting position in case the hyena pup decided to pounce him. "No!" He retorted. "I- I knew you were there the whole time. Hyena." He snarled.

The hyena only giggled at Kion's reaction. "Ooh, look who's such a big, tough lion." She cooed teasingly at him. He only deepened his snarl.

"Now, easy there, little sis." An older, more experienced voice said. "Can you see he's tense enough?"

Out of the shadows, much to Kion's fright, was another female hyena. But she was an adolescent one, looking a couple of years older than himself and the hyena pup, who was apparently her little sister.

This hyena had pale gray fur with no hints of purple in it, with faint black spots and stripes all over her body. Her mane was short and black as well, and her brown eyes held...kindness in them as she looked over at the frightened lion cub.

"Easy, little one." She said, trying to calm Kion down. "I assure you, I won't bite."

Kion seemed to start to relax a little bit. "R-Really?" He asked.

The older hyena nodded. "Yes. I'm Madoa. And I see you already met my little sister." She looked over at her, the pup getting a little closer to him.

"The name's Jasiri." She cheerfully introduced herself.

The way she was smiling at him, a teasing but genuine smile, it made Kion start to feel a little bit better, and he even cracked a tiny grin at her. "I'm Kion." He said.

"Well, Kion." Madoa said. "What's a young one like you doing in the Outlands by yourself?" She asked.

"My sister convinced me that we should come here and explore." Kion explained, a bitter look in his eyes. "I tried to warn her not to, but she just never listens to me. Now, I'm the one who's lost, and I got to find my sister and our way back home to the Pride Lands or else our dad will get really angry."

"Well, there's a trail here that leads to Flat Ridge Rock." Madoa said. "You can easily cross there to get back to the Pride Lands."

"We can take you there." Jasiri piped up.

Kion was a bit surprised by her request. Well, since they haven't eaten him yet, he supposed that maybe he can trust them. "Okay." He said.

"Good." Madoa said. "But stay close, you two. This is not a safe place to be alone."

"Yeah, I can tell." Kion muttered as he began trailing behind her with Jasiri.

The female pup looked over at him with curiosity. So he was a bit of a scaredy-cat, yet he does have some backbone, even for a cub. Interesting.

After a couple of silent minutes, Kion spoke up again. "I'm sorry, but I want to know. Why are you being so nice to me? You're hyenas."

Madoa smiled. "I suppose that many animals believe that all hyenas are bad." She said. "After what happened before you were born."

"That's what I've been told." Kion said.

Jasiri giggled. "Well then, you need to get out more often." She said, playfully nudging his shoulder with her paw. "Not everything is what you think it is."

Kion rolled his eyes. "Yeah, try telling that to my dad." He said. "He gets worried enough whenever me and my sister just leave our home to play."

"Overprotective daddy?" Jasiri asked.

Kion nodded. "You know it." He said.

Jasiri laughed. "So you do have a funny bone in you." She said, chuckling. Her laughter was proving to be a little contagious, as Kion was starting to laugh as well.

Madoa looked back to see her sister and the lion cub laughing together. A lion and a hyena, becoming friends? Now that was something that hardly ever happened.

Suddenly, she was picking up a scent. An unfriendly one. "Shh, you two." She said, making the young animals quiet down. "I don't think we're alone here."

The two young mammals carefully looked around them to see if there was anything in the area. Low growls started becoming audible.

"Uh, what should I be worried about here?" Kion whispered to Jasiri.

Suddenly, a pack of about five jackals appeared all around the group of three, hunger in their eyes. Jasiri gulped, Kion looking at her with surprise that this fearless hyena was actually scared right now.

"Them." She whispered back, answering his question.

"Stay close." Madoa whispered, and the two young animals hid close to the older hyena and each other.

Just then, a female jackal, most likely the leader of the pack, came up to Madoa. "Well, well, Madoa." She greeted her with a sickeningly sweet smile. "Fancy seeing you here on this side of the Outlands."

"You have nothing to worry about here, Reirei." Madoa said to her calmly. "We're just passing through."

Reirei looked behind Madoa and saw Jasiri standing there close to her, but she was also shocked to see Kion as well.

"Well, what's a cute little lion cub doing here in the Outlands?" She asked, her tone sweet and kind. But it sent chills down Kion's spine as he inched away from the jackal.

"Leave him alone!" Jasiri said, jumping in front of Kion, snarling. Kion's eyes widened at her bravery, a young hyena pup standing up to a full-grown jackal.

Reirei narrowed her eyes at Jasiri, but then looked back at Kion. "We can take you home, little one." She said, trying to persuade him. "You don't have to worry about these hyenas anymore."

For a split second, Madoa and Jasiri were worried that Kion might actually go with the jackals, just because they were hyenas. The cub looked over at them, and then glared up at Reirei.

"You're not acting very friendly right now." He said. "So leave us alone!"

Both Jasiri and Madoa were quite surprised that Kion chose to stay with them, even though their species are meant to be enemies.

Reirei growled angrily at Kion's refusal. "Jackals, attack!" She ordered. "Today's lunch, hyena and lion!"

The pack began making their move, but Madoa quickly tackled two of them down. "Run!" She shouted to Kion and Jasiri.

Both young mammals began running, but there were cornered by Reirei and the two jackals. Both of them quivered with fear.

Kion soon noticed that the ground around them was pretty sandy. Jasiri noticed it, too. They both scooped some sand up with their paws and flung it at them, temporarily blinding them as they made a run for it.

"Nice idea." Jasiri said.

"Thanks." Kion replied.

Reirei jumped out of the sand cloud, rubbing her eyes. She snarled viciously as she saw the little mammals running ahead. She lunged and managed to tackle Jasiri down.

"No!" Madoa exclaimed, which gave the opportunity for a jackal to roughly pin her down onto her back.

Reirei licked her lips at the terrified hyena that was on her side, trembling. She then raised a paw to swipe at her.

But then, Kion raced forward and pushed Jasiri out of the way. Unfortunately, he was the one who was sent flying to the canyon wall by the swipe of Reirei's claws.

The two hyenas gasped at the sight of Kion slumped against the wall. Madoa pushed the jackal off her and then tackled Reirei down.

"You did that to a cub?! How dare you!" She snarled.

Reirei pushed Madoa off, and the two were in a stand-off for a few seconds. But then, Reirei noticed that all the other jackals had been taken down. She then snarled at Madoa.

"This isn't over yet, Madoa." She said to the adolescent hyena, turning to run and leave the area, the others having gotten up and following their leader with pained yelps.

Madoa panted for breath, and then she turned around to check on Kion. Jasiri was already there, nudging him gently.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

Kion groaned and then turned to face them. The two hyenas gasped.

He had a pink scar over his left eye now. Two markings on his brow led down to one point beneath his eye, but never touching the eye itself.

"Your face." Jasiri whispered in sorrow.

Kion rubbed his eye with his paw, feeling the groove of the new imperfection, and then slowly stood up on his paws, shaking his fur.

"I'll be fine." He assured them. "They're gone. Let's go." With that, Kion turned to continue on the path.

The two hyenas were in silent awe at Kion's bravery to shrug off such an injury, especially for one so young as him. They then went over to him to catch up. But they didn't notice that someone else had seen the little brawl.

* * *

Soon, Madoa was back in front, with Kion and Jasiri behind her again. The hyena pup looked over at Kion, violet eyes on his new scar.

"Thank you." She whispered, getting Kion's attention. "But you didn't have to do that."

"Sure I did." Kion said. "She was going to hurt you. I had to do something."

"Yeah, but I never thought a lion would help a hyena." She said.

Kion smiled kindly at her. "Well, not all lions are the same." He said. "Just like not all hyenas are bad."

Jasiri returned the smile. But unbeknownst to them and Madoa, the same shadowy figure who had seen the fight with the jackals earlier was following them.

"Well, Kion, here it is." Madoa said, getting the cub's attention. "Flat Ridge Rock."

The name said it all. It was a plain, large, flat rock that served as a sort of bridge between the Outlands and the Pride Lands. Kion happily bounded over to it, with Jasiri and Madoa following him.

"Thanks for bringing me here." He said.

Madoa and Jasiri smiled. "This is as far as we can go, Kion." She said.

Kion then noticed that they were still on the side that was closer to the Outlands, while he was on the opposite side towards the Pride Lands. "Get home safe, and find your sister."

Kion smiled. "I will."

"Can we see each other again?" Jasiri asked.

The lion cub grinned widely. "Sure!" He said, getting into a playful pouncing position. "And then, we can play some of my favorite games. Have you ever played baobab ball?"

Jasiri giggled, getting into a similar position more suited for a hyena. "No, but I know how to play tag."

The two young ones laughed excitedly at the thought of playing together. But then suddenly, Simba appeared in front of Kion, roaring protectively. Madoa quickly grabbed Jasiri by the scruff and brought her closer to her.

"What. Are. You. Doing. To. My. Son?" Simba growled.

Madoa and Jasiri's eyes both widened when the realization hit them. Kion was Simba's son, the son of the King, and that meant he was the prince of the Pride Lands.

"Please, Your Majesty." Madoa said calmly. "Your son got lost in the Outlands, and my sister and I were merely escorting him home."

Nala and the others appeared on the scene, with Kiara looking sullen in her mother's grip. But then, Kiara noticed something different about her brother.

"Kion! Your face!" She exclaimed.

Then, all of the Pride Landers gasped as they all noticed the pink scar on the little cub's face, which looked pretty fresh, but luckily with no blood. Simba growled more fiercely over at the two hyenas, thinking they did that to him. But Kion quickly moved out of his father's protective stance and got in front of the two.

"No, Dad!" He shouted fearfully, making Simba look down at his son. "They didn't do this to me! It was jackals! They protected me from them!"

Simba looked into his son's pleading light gold eyes and soon saw that he was speaking the truth. He looked back up to the hyenas.

"Is this true?" He asked them.

Both of them nodded. Simba continued holding his gaze at them for a good few seconds, and then looked down at Kion. His eyes were wide and fearful. He desperately hoped that his father wouldn't hurt his rescuers.

Finally, Simba spoke to Madoa in a low voice. "Take your pup and go back to where you belong." He said, turning away from them. "Kion." He gently grabbed his son by the nape of his neck.

The lion cub looked over at his rescuers with sad eyes, his gaze aimed mostly at Jasiri. "Bye." He whispered to her.

The hyena pup returned the sad gaze as she and Madoa cautiously went back into the Outlands. "Bye." She whispered back, hoping that Kion heard her.

No sooner were the two female hyenas back into the Outlands, a male hyena about the same age as Madoa jumped down from a crevice in the canyonlands. He had gray fur and black spots and stripes on him, just like Jasiri and Madoa, but his eyes were black and beady, having no kindness in them. His left ear even had a tiny notch in it.

"You brought that puny little prince home?" He asked.

Madoa scoffed. "What were we supposed to do, Janja?" She asked. "Leave him for dead here in the Outlands?"

"You could've brought him back to the den for our lunch." Janja said.

"No!" Jasiri exclaimed, jumping out from underneath her older sister. "You wouldn't!"

Janja looked down at the young pup, who slightly shrank back against her sister. "And that icky kindness of yours, towards even lions of all animals, is why you and your family are on the lower end of the clan." Janja said simply. "Come on." He ordered.

Janja began walking in front of them, leading them back to their so-called den. Madoa followed him, eyes narrowed hatefully at him, but she couldn't do much about him, because whether she liked it or not, he was the leader of their clan.

Jasiri stole one last glance towards the Pride Lands, in the direction where Kion and his family went, and then followed her sister, standing close to her to avoid the gaze of her cruel leader.

* * *

**A/N: We all know now that in Season 3 of "The Lion Guard", Kion got his scar from a snake bite. But then I remembered that in "The Lion King 2", Zira gave Kovu a scar that looked pretty identical to Scar's. And I needed Kion to stay in the Pride Lands for this story, so I thought of an encounter with the jackals.**

**So what do you guys think? I thought it was pretty awesome. And I know. Usually in hyena society, the females are the leaders of the clan, but for the sake of the story, let's just go with Janja being the leader. Because apparently, he was the leader of his clan in "The Lion Guard", albeit all of them were males themselves. **

**Until next time! I'll see y'all! Please leave a review about what you think.**

**Got to fly! ;)**


	6. We Are One

Love Beyond Reasons

**A/N: I had just rewatched "The Lion King 2" a couple of days ago, and I remembered that this song spoke out to me now that I understand it better. So of course I had to put it in here.**

**So let's get on with Chapter 5! Roll it!**

Chapter 5

We Are One

A few minutes later, everyone was nearing the vicinity of Pride Rock. Simba had put Kion back down on the ground earlier, and the young cub was walking slowly behind his father. Nala had handed Kiara back to her mate, so he was now holding her by the scruff.

Then, Simba stopped Kion with his paw, making him look up at him as they stopped walking.

"Simba?" Nala asked.

The King only cleared his throat, saying that he needed to talk to the cubs alone for a few minutes. She nodded in understanding, and went ahead with everyone else. Kion tried to follow his mother, but she stopped him with her paw. She nudged him back to his father, and then gave him a reassuring lick on the head.

Simba gently placed Kiara on a large rock, and Kion hopped on beside her. While he looked down at his paws, ashamed, his sister tried to give their father a bright smile. When he didn't perk up but only glared more sternly at them, her smile vanished.

"What were you two thinking you were doing?" He asked them. "You could've been killed today." He said. "Especially you, Kion. You are lucky enough to be alive."

Kion flinched when his father mentioned his little incident, but he still looked up at him when he said his name.

"Daddy, I, we didn't mean to-" Kiara tried to speak, but Simba cut her off.

"I'm telling you two this because I love you." He continued. "I don't want to lose either of you."

"We know." The cubs both said.

Simba sighed. "If something happened to either of you, I don't know what I'd do." He then looked over at each of his cubs as he spoke to them.

"Look, Kiara. One day, I won't be here, and I need you to take my place. And Kion, you're still a young cub and not ready to take on the world yet. But one day, you'll find your own path. You each are a part of the great-"

"'Circle of Life', we know." Kiara mumbled.

Kion just glared at his sister. He knew how important the Circle of Life is, he just doesn't know what his place in it yet.

"Exactly." Simba said. "And you need to be careful. As future queen-"

"What if I don't want to be queen?" Kiara complained, turning away from her father. "It's no fun."

Kion began feeling a little out of place. To him, this wasn't exactly father-daughter time. This was more of a king talking to his princess, and the future ruler of the Pride Lands. He doesn't exactly fit in this conversation. Sure, he was the prince of the Pride Lands, but he wasn't going to become king, as he is second-in-line after Kiara. He wasn't even sure about what the future holds for him when he gets older. He wanted to be more than just a prince, he wanted to do his part to keep the balance, but what was it?

Simba just smiled at his cubs, his daughter turned away from him, and his son looking down at his paws, deep in thought.

"That's like saying you don't want to be a lion." He told Kiara. "It's in your blood, as I am and Kion." The younger cub looked back up at his father when he said that. "We are a part of each other."

Kiara just ignored her father's words with a huff, so Simba just nudged Kion closer to her, a teasing glint in his eyes. His son caught onto the implication, and gently pushed her off the rock with him pinning her down. The two laughed slightly before they looked up at their father, who had a cheeky grin on his face. Both of them returned the grin as Kion released his sister and they both nuzzled Simba under his chin, purring lovingly. Then, their father started to sing.

**_Simba_**_: As you go through life, you'll see  
__There is so much that we  
__Don't understand._

The three lions looked up to a nearby bird's nest, where a mother bird was feeding her fledgling babies. One of them left the nest, went over to a nearby branch, and began trying to fly. Both cubs perked up at the sight.

_And the only thing we know  
__Is things don't always go  
__The way we planned._

But then, the mother flew over to the wandering chick and gave her child a stern glare. The chick gave its mother a stubborn look before flying back to the nest. Kiara and Kion looked a little disappointed at the sight, but they quickly perked up to try and keep up with their father.

_But you'll see every day  
__That we'll never turn away  
__When it seems all your dreams come undone._

They were now standing near a wildebeest herd, where a mother wildebeest was teaching her newborn calf to stand. The calf had some trouble in the beginning, but it soon got the hang of it, amazing the cubs. It even started to run, and the mother ran with it to keep her calf from running too far from the herd.

_We will stand by your side  
__Filled with hope and filled with pride.  
__We are more than we are.  
__We are one._

Simba led his cubs off the rocks and through the grasslands of the Pridelands, families of every kind watching over their little ones. What got Kion's attention the most was a young hippo calf hopping onto top of his parents.

Soon, both he and Kiara had stopped on a log to stare down at their reflections, while their dad towered above them. They both exchanged a glance with him.

**_Kiara_**_: If there's so much I must be,  
__Can I still just be me  
__The way I am?_

As Kiara continued staring down at her reflection, even when a fish jumped out of the water, Kion stared up at the sky, looking at a flock of egrets that were flying above, a particular chick standing out in the group to him.

**_Kion_**_: Can I trust in my own heart,  
__Or am I just one part  
__Of some big plan?_

Simba then led his cubs to a fallen-down tree with large crooked branches, where the wind began gently blowing through their fur. He then showed them the first star that appeared in the twilight sky, and all of the families that lived in the Pride Lands.

**_Simba_**_: Even those who are gone  
__Are with us as we go on.  
__Your journey has only begun._

_Tears of pain, tears of joy,  
__One thing nothing can destroy  
__Is our pride, deep inside.  
__We are one._

The King of the Pride Lands then led his cubs off of the tree and through the grasslands in a playful romp as they ran past each of the families that lived in the kingdom. There were elephants and their calves, ostriches and their chicks, giraffes and their calves, zebras and their foals, and gazelles and their fawns. Simba and his cubs all splashed through puddles and jumped onto large boulders as they eventually reached the site of their own home, Pride Rock.

_We are one, you and I.  
__We are like the earth and sky,  
__One family under the sun._

Simba then looked down on his cubs and then back up at the peak of Pride Rock with pride in his heart.

_All the wisdom to lead,  
__All the courage that you need.  
__You will find when you see  
__We are one._

The two cubs looked unsure as they stared up at the peak of their home. Kiara still wasn't sure if being queen was what she really wanted to do with her life, and Kion wasn't even sure of his own destiny and his place in the Circle of Life. He was just...there.

Simba saw the uncertainty in their eyes and came over to them. "As long as you two live here, it's who you are." He then nuzzled them and licked the top of their heads. "You'll understand someday."

Kiara and Kion just smiled at their father as he walked up to their cave in Pride Rock. Just then, the same little bird from earlier flew to the princess and prince. Both of them smiled at it being able to leave its nest at last. Then, it flew off into the horizon.

The two cubs were a little sad at its departure, but then smiled that it was now free. They both sat down together in silence as they watched the sun disappear beneath the horizon.

Kion's mind quickly wandered to that hyena pup, Jasiri. He hoped that one day, he can see her again. She didn't seem so bad, for a hyena. Maybe they could've been great friends.

Kiara, however, looked over at her brother and her longing smile vanished when she saw his new scar. It was because of her idea that Kion got hurt. She was grateful that he was still alive. But if they ever did a stunt like that again, he might not be so lucky. It was probably best for both of them, and for their family, if she took her duties as future queen more seriously. Then maybe, Kion wouldn't have to go through a similar ordeal ever again in the future.

* * *

**A/N: I had to give some sort of explanation about how Kiara changed her attitude in the beginning of "The Lion Guard", and I thought this was reasonable enough.**

**Also, I have a poll on my profile about a little question regarding a future chapter. So please check it out and leave your thoughts.**

**Until the next chapter! I'll see y'all! Please leave a review about what you think. They are highly appreciated.**

**Got to fly! ;)**


	7. The Great Scheme

Love Beyond Reasons

**A/N: Now this is where the Outsider plot gets an extra bonus to it.**

**Let's begin Chapter 6. Roll it!**

Chapter 6

The Great Scheme

Back in the Outlands, well, much further than the young royal cubs had explored, there was hardly any vegetation or water anywhere for miles. What was there were a few giant castles of termite mounds, the occasional scattered bones, and dry ground. The lionesses there practically had to dig and tear apart mounds and trees for something suitable to eat.

An adolescent scrawny lion was muttering to himself as he approached a young female cub, who was his little sister. The adolescent had pale cream fur, a scraggly thin black mane, matching his tail and joints, and vermilion eyes. The cub had pale peachy fur with bangs on her head, and violet eyes. The cub was chewing on a root, trying to pull it out.

"Kovu, Kovu, Kovu." The adolescent muttered. "Scar wasn't even his father. He just took him in." Then, he had approached his sister. "Oh, hey, Vitani. Where's the little termite, Kovu? '_The Chosen One.'_"

When she didn't answer him, he used a claw to easily slice the root away from the mound, causing her to fall onto her back suddenly. He cackled at his little prank, but Vitani was not happy about not just his prank, but also about something else.

"Nuka, where's Kovu?" She demanded, coming back to her older brother. "Did you leave him out there on his own again?"

Nuka was chewing on the root and stopped to give his sister his snarky answer. "Hey, it's every lion for himself out here." He said, scratching himself to relieve him of an itch. "The little termite's gotta learn to be on his own."

Vitani glared at him. "Mother's gonna be mad." She said. "She told you to watch him."

"Aw, who cares?" Nuka said, who was still scratching himself with either his claws or onto a dead tree. "I should've been the Chosen One. I'm the oldest, I'm the strongest, I'm the smartest-" He stopped to yelp in annoyance at all the termites that were bugging him greatly. "These termites!"

Vitani smirked at the sight of Nuka going into a frenzy just to get rid of the termites that were itching in his fur. "I could be a leader if she'd just give me a chance!" He continued to rant as he scooted on the dry ground.

His sister scoffed. "Yeah, right. Why don't you tell that to her?"

Nuka narrowed his eyes at her. "Oh, yeah? Don't think I won't."

"Oh, yeah?" Vitani asked, chuckling. "Here's your chance."

Nuka was confused by what she meant by that for a second, but then when he turned around, he saw Zira arriving with Kovu. "Oh, Mother, Mother, hi!"

He went over to greet her. "Mother, I caught some field mice for your dinner. I put them by the-" But Zira just continued walking, softly growling. "Okay."

Zira silently dropped Kovu next to Vitani, who greeted her younger brother. "Hey, Kovu. Wanna fight?" She playfully growled at him as Kovu smirked at her and got into a play-fighting position.

"You were supposed to be watching him!" Zira snapped at Nuka, who flinched away at his mother's tone.

Kovu stopped play-fighting and turned around to face his mother. "It's not his fault. I went off on my own." He said.

"What were you doing?" Zira demanded.

"N-Nothing." Kovu said.

"Who made us Outsiders?"

"Simba."

"Who killed Scar?"

"Simba!" Kovu repeated, falling onto his back.

"What have I told you about them?!" Zira shouted, making him flinch.

"I'm sorry, Mother." Kovu apologized. But then, thoughts of Kiara came into his mind. "She, she didn't seem so bad. I-I thought, we could be-"

"Friends?!" Zira asked him harshly. "You thought you'd get to the daughter, and Simba would welcome you with open arms?! What an idea!" She rolled her eyes.

But then, the more she thought about it, the more it sounded ...appealing. "What an idea!" She exclaimed joyfully.

Kovu flinched as Zira pulled him closer by the tail and began stroking his fur. "You brilliant child! I'm so proud of you. You have the same conniving mind that made Scar so ...powerful."

Nuka gagged at the thought, but then Zira snarled at him, making him laugh nervously.

"Yo, Zira!" A voice called out to the lioness.

She turned to see Janja coming toward her, roughly pushing a trembling Jasiri in front of him. She rolled her eyes. "What is it now, Janja?" She asked.

"It seems that this pup that belongs to my clan has had quite an adventure in the Outlands with the prince today." Janja said.

Zira raised a brow. "The prince?" She asked. First Simba has a daughter, and now, he also has a son?

"Yeah, Kiara mentioned that she has a little brother." Kovu piped up. "She was looking for him earlier."

"So now there's two cubs?!" Zira snapped.

"K-Kion didn't seem so bad, for a lion." Jasiri said, trying her best to be brave.

Zira scoffed. "A lion befriending a hyena?" She asked. "Now I've heard everything."

"That's what I was thinking." Janja said. "But I just overheard your little plan, and I think I know a way us hyenas can contribute."

Zira had her brow raised again. "Go on." She said.

"Look, this little squirt seems to already have gained the prince's trust, so maybe she can distract him and stay on his good side while your kid gets closer to his sister." Janja suggested.

Zira thought about it for a few seconds. This hyena pup getting close to Prince Kion, while Kovu gets in good graces with Princess Kiara. If Simba was fretting enough about having a hyena near his son, he will soon have his guard down. And then, that's when everything will come into place.

"I can see where this is headed, Janja." Zira said. "And I think it's just delicious. Killing two birds with one stone."

Both Kovu and Jasiri shared a nervous glance with each other, and gulped audibly. Then, the hyena pup spoke up. "You're not going to hurt him, are you?" She asked Zira.

Zira gave her a falsely sweet smile. "No, my dear." She said. "Breaking his spirit is more effective than his body."

Jasiri gasped in realization and horror. They will try to get her to betray Kion!

"No!" She exclaimed fiercely. All of the lions in the area turned to look at the brave tiny hyena who was standing her ground against the terrifying lioness. "I won't hurt Kion! And you can't make me!"

Zira growled, but Janja beat her to it. "Listen, you little furball." He sneered. "Either you go along with this plan, or your family starves. More than they do already."

Jasiri whimpered. He was forcing her to choose between betraying her new friend, who risked his own life to save hers, and letting her family die from starvation.

Kovu actually felt sorry for this brave little hyena pup. She actually had the guts to stand up against his mother, refusing to hurt Kiara's younger brother, and now she had to make a difficult choice.

Finally, Jasiri looked down at her paws in submission while Janja smirked. Zira smiled evilly. "Good, my dear." She said, before looking back at Janja. "I'll give details of the plan later. Right now, I think these two need some rest."

"Very well." Janja said, returning her malicious grin before he started pushing Jasiri back towards their part of the Outlands. She and Kovu shared one last worried glance before she and her leader vanished from sight.

Zira picked up Kovu again by his midsection and began carrying him off to their home in the biggest and most hollow termite mound. Nuka groaned. "Chosen One." He muttered.

* * *

Soon, both Zira and Kovu arrived in an area that served as Kovu's sleeping quarters. She roughly placed him on a dead stump, where she looked down at him with pride.

"I now see the path, to our glorious return to power." She said ominously as some of the other Outsiders began to gather around.

Kovu, wanting to protest against his mother like Jasiri did, spoke up. "But I don't wanna-"

"Hush!" Zira cut him off. But then, her tone turned softer. "Hush, my little one. You must be exhausted." With that, she started to sing.

**_Zira_**_: Sleep, my little Kovu.  
Let your dreams take wing.  
One day when you're big and strong,  
You will be a king._

Now starting to feel a little tired, Kovu began to close his eyes as Zira started to leave. "Good night." He said.

"Good night, my little prince." She said kindly to him, before turning away. "Tomorrow, your training intensifies."

A dark and malicious grin appeared on her face as her song turned hard and vengeful as she wandered throughout the termite mound.

_I've been exiled, persecuted,  
Left alone with no defense.  
When I think of what that brute did,  
I get a little tense._

Her claws felt tight and sharp as she thought about what Simba did to her and her family, even unsheathing them. But then, an evil smile came on her face.

_But I dream a dream so pretty  
That I don't feel so depressed,  
'Cause it soothes my inner kitty  
And it helps me get some rest._

The images of what she has in mind for the royal family were glorious to her as her other two kids joined her and the other followers of Scar began watching her. Nuka pretended to be a dying Simba, then he picked up Vitani by the scruff with his claws as if she was Kiara or Kion, but she kicked him in the face to make him release her.

_The sound of Simba's dying gasp.  
His two cubs writhing in my grasp.  
His lionesses' mournful cry.  
That's my lullaby._

_Now the past I've tried forgetting,  
And my foes I could forgive.  
Trouble is, I know it's petty,  
But I hate to let them live._

**_Nuka_**_: So you found yourself somebody  
Who'd chase Simba up a tree._

**_Zira_**_: Oh, the battle may be bloody,  
But that kind of works for me._

More of the Outsiders began to join their leader as she sang.

_The melody of angry growls.  
A counterpoint of painful howls.  
A symphony of death, oh my.  
That's my lullaby._

She returned back to the hollowed out stump where Kovu was now sleeping and gave him a quick lick on his head. Then, she placed her claws on a stone, dragging them down, leaving thin scratches behind.

_Scar is gone, but Zira's still around  
To love this little lad,  
_'_Til he learns to be a killer  
With a lust for being bad._

Both Nuka and Vitani were now beside their younger brother as he slept. Nuka showed his disdain again, but when his sister glared at him, he nervously changed his attitude.

**_Nuka_**_: Sleep, ya little termite!  
I mean, precious little thing._

**_Vitani_**_: One day when you're big and strong,_

**_Zira_**_: You will be a king._

Zira swiped away a crumbling piece of the mound, shining a light on the sleeping cub's form as some of the other Outsider lionesses gathered around him.

_The pounding of the drums of war.  
__The thrill of Kovu's mighty roar._

**_Nuka_**_: The joy of vengeance,_

**_Vitani_**_: Testify!_

**_Zira_**_: I can hear the cheering,_

As usual, Vitani was enthusiastic about it, but Nuka wasn't.

_**Nuka and Vitani**__: Kovu, what a guy._

Zira managed to emerge out of the hole she had made and out into the sunset, as the sky turned red and swarms of termites began flying everywhere.

**_Zira_**_: Payback time is nearing,  
__And then our flag will fly  
__Against a blood-red sky.  
__That's my lullaby._

The evil lioness cackled into the reddening dusk as the song ended on an ominous note, and everything went dark.

* * *

**A/N: After this chapter, no more daily updates. The next chapter is a doozy, and much longer than the others have been.**

**And about the poll on my profile. I'll give it another day for you guys to leave your votes.**

**Until next time! I'll see y'all! Please leave a review about what you think. They are highly appreciated.**

**Got to fly! ;)**


	8. Kion Discovers His Destiny

Love Beyond Reasons

**A/N: Holy-! This chapter is like, three times longer than all of the previous ones! Maybe even four! Why did I decide to do this much in one single chapter? Because I couldn't stop when I feel like I know how certain chapters should go, that's why. Sometimes, me writing something is great, other times I feel like my fingers might come off.**

**Oh, well. I hope you guys like this. I put a lot of work into it, and I had this ready to post since yesterday, but things don't always do according to plan.**

**Let's get on with Chapter 7! Roll it!**

Chapter 7

Kion Discovers His Destiny

Another two months have quickly passed since Kiara and Kion's little misadventures in the Outlands. But much had changed during that time. Kiara had started to take her royal duties as future queen more seriously, hardly getting herself dirty or having any fun, developing a bit of a snobbish behavior, much to Kion's dismay and annoyance.

Often, Kion would find himself alone while his sister usually hung out with two other female cubs in the pride, Tiifu and Zuri. And he wasn't particularly close with any of the other cubs that were in the pride. But at least he always had Bunga to hang out with.

There was another little incident during that short period of time that involved Kion when one time, he and Bunga indirectly challenged a float of crocodiles after sneaking out of Pride Rock, and Zazu had to come to their rescue. When Simba had heard about this, he became a little worried that now that Kiara was focusing more on her royal duties, Kion was starting to become the rebellious one. Then again, he didn't expect Kion to grow up so fast. After all, he is still a cub, but he still worried about his free-spirited son.

Eventually, Kion and Bunga became friends with some other young animals that lived in the Pride Lands. There was Beshte the hippo, who really was more gentle with others than he was tough, but he was still a force to be reckoned with if needed. He had smooth gray skin with his belly a lighter shade, blue eyes, and a tuft of dark hair on his head.

Ono the egret, who had a sharp mind that rivalled his eyesight. He had white and orange feathers, black eyes and long legs suitable for a young egret. He sometimes was a bit of a sarcastic worrywart, but he wouldn't back down if his friends needed him.

And then finally, there was Fuli the cheetah, who doesn't like anything slowing her down, but she still manages to have some time with her friends. She had golden yellow fur with large black spots all over her body, a long tail for balance when she runs, was long and lanky for a cheetah cub, and bright green eyes.

A lot of the times, all five of them would hang out near the water hole, just talking about the day's events or playing hide-and-seek or even playing baobab ball. Fuli though, stayed out of the water as much as she could, for she hated it with a passion. She sometimes doesn't get how Kion could tolerate water, for he was a feline like her. The lion cub only laughed and told her that he had to deal with worse things than simply getting his fur wet. He'd rather get soaked to the bone than deal with his sister and her attitude towards him. Fuli giggled at his little joke and agreed with him.

Still, even with four really close friends, Kion would wonder why Kiara suddenly started to avoid him like he was some sort of embarrassment to her. They used to be so close, even though they had differing opinions about their father's rules. She would be the headstrong one, getting him and herself into trouble, while he was supposed to be the responsible one, looking out for her as only a brother could. He was the only protection she didn't mind. But now it seemed like those days were gone, and he never knew why.

* * *

One particular morning, Kion was playing a game of baobab ball with Bunga at Pride Rock. When Bunga kicked the fruit high over him, the prince saw that it was nearing where his father and sister were sitting at the peak of the giant rock monument, talking to each other.

"Heads up! Incoming!" He shouted to them.

The baobab fruit bounced on Simba's head and landed on the rocky floor in front of him, and Kion hurried past them to get it. By now, both he and Kiara had grown a little bit taller and more lithe and slender. But Kion was the one who had more noticeable growth out of the two of them, due to him being a male.

He no longer had dark speckles on his lower back, but he still had them on his ankles. His mane tuft had grown to the back of his head with two tiny strands loose above his eyes, his nose turned into a much darker pinkish color, even darker than the rest of his family, and he started to gain some muscles in his legs and upper body. He still had the pink scar on his left eye from his incident with the jackals in the Outlands, but it healed up nicely.

"Kion!" Kiara chided as her brother squeezed past her and their father.

"Oh, uh, sorry Dad." Kion apologized sheepishly. "Me and Bunga were playing baobab ball and-"

Just then, Bunga leapt over to them. He had also grown in height, and the white fur that was on his head had grown a little bit longer. "Kion couldn't handle the pass." He teased.

"What? A giraffe couldn't handle it!" Kion retorted as he lightly jabbed his friend in the stomach. "You kicked it over my head!"

"Kion!" Simba tried to get his son's attention.

"And you couldn't handle it." Bunga continued to tease as he jumped over his friend's head.

"Bunga…"

"Oh, yeah?" Kion asked him playfully, a little smirk on his face. "Try to handle this!"

Both young mammals had grabbed hold of the fruit, Bunga with his claws and Kion with his teeth, each trying to pull it away from the other's grasp. Kiara sighed at the sight of them, rolling her eyes.

"Boys!" Simba said.

Kion abruptly released the fruit, causing Bunga to fall back. The young lion cub then turned his attention to his father. "Kion, I need to talk to your sister. She'll be tracking gazelles with her friends today."

Kiara smiled proudly, her head held up high. "Because I'm training to be-"

"Queen of the Pride Lands." Kion interrupted her with a roll of his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I know all about it, Kiara." He really didn't like it whenever his sister rubbed her role in the Circle of Life in his face, which was almost all the time. She didn't do that back when they were younger. She didn't even want to be queen at first! So what changed?

Kiara scoffed. "Well, at least I have my life figured out." She said. "What are you gonna grow to be, little brother?" She teased.

"Happy?" Kion teased back with his eyebrows raised playfully, remembering how much she hated to one day become queen when they were younger. "And you're older than me by five minutes." Kiara glowered at him.

"All right, you two. That's enough." Simba said, gently nudging his son away before another argument would start. "Kion, why don't you and Bunga go play somewhere else?" He suggested.

Bunga leaped up at the idea. "Yeah, yeah! I know the perfect place!" He quickly rushed over to the edge of the peak and held up the fruit. "Hey, Kion! You'll never get the baobab fruit, no!" He teased.

Kion ran over to him. "You got nowhere to go, Bunga!" He said.

"Says you!" Bunga replied before tossing the baobab fruit high up and then literally jumping off the peak. _"Zuka Zama!"_ He cried out.

Kion rushed to the edge to see his friend flipping in the air and then landed in a tree, which thankfully softened his fall as he descended towards the ground.

"Catch me if you can, Kion!" Bunga called up to his friend as the baobab fruit landed back in his claws and he took off running.

Kion smirked confidently. "Game on, Bunga!" He called back to him. Then he took off running down Pride Rock as he called back to his family. "Later, Dad! Have fun tracking those gazelles, Kiara! I gotta get Bunga!"

* * *

Both the lion cub and the honey badger played and raced throughout the Pride Lands, through flocks and herds, even running into some of their other friends, Ono, Beshte and Fuli.

Finally, Kion managed to pounce on Bunga, making him drop the baobab fruit. "Gotcha now, Bunga." He said. When the fruit landed near them, Kion ran over to get it first.

"Not yet!" Bunga said as he tackled the lion cub onto his back and began tickling him, making him let go of the fruit that he got hold of.

"Stop it! Bunga!" Kion pleaded while laughing. While he was laughing, Bunga got the fruit again. Kion got back onto all fours.

The honey badger chased the bouncing fruit and quickly got hold of it again. "Got it!" He said.

But Kion was already settled into a low pouncing position, his tail twitching around playfully. He had been taking both pouncing and hunting lessons from both his dad and his mom as he and his sister grew older and stronger, and he proved himself to be a fast learner, much to Kiara's chagrin.

He leaped forward and tackled Bunga again, pinning him down onto his stomach, making him drop the fruit again.

"Whoa!" Bunga exclaimed at Kion's surprise attack. But then, both young mammals watched as the baobab fruit dropped and rolled into the one place Kion didn't think that he would come back to so soon. The Outlands.

They were near another part of the dry and barren border, where there was a large, deep crevice in the ground that separated the Pride Lands and Outlands, as if they were on a cliff. Both of them looked down to where the fruit disappeared to.

"Aw! It rolled into the Outlands." Kion said. "Game over."

But Bunga just shrugged it off. "Says who?" He asked. "I'm not afraid of the Outlands."

"Neither am I." Kion said, remembering his little adventure there when he was little. "It's just- my dad. He says we shouldn't-"

"Oh, puh-leeze!" Bunga said, knowing that deep down, despite his older sister thinking that he was now the immature one out of the two of them, his best friend was still a bit of a stickler for the rules. "Simba's a big old scaredy-cat when it comes to the Outlands. Besides, do you still remember when you went there with Kiara back when we were little?"

"Yeah, and do you remember what happened after that?" Kion asked. "Kiara and I got grounded for a whole week, and Dad wouldn't let us go anywhere without him or Mom watching us. It was embarrassing."

"Just because you got your first battle scar?" Bunga asked, gesturing over to the pink, two-pointed scar on Kion's face.

When the lion cub gave him a dry look, he quickly remembered. "Oh, yeah. He's that kind of dad." He said quietly. "But who cares?" He asked in his normal volume as he got ready to jump. "You know what my uncles always say!"

_"Hakuna Matata."_ Kion said while mildly rolling his eyes as he watched his best friend head into the Outlands without any fear.

Bunga managed to get down to the rocky ground, even though he did get snagged on a dead tree branch on the way down. He soon landed on his back paws with a perfect landing. "Now where'd that baobab fruit go?" He asked himself. But little did he and Kion know that the honey badger wasn't alone down there.

Finally, Bunga managed to find the fruit. "Aha! Here we go!" He said, picking it up. But right behind him were two glowing pairs of sinister yellow eyes. Kion managed to see them from where he was standing, though.

_"Heyvi kabisa!"_ He muttered to himself, his eyes widening in fear. "Bunga! Heads up!" He called down to his friend.

"Relax, Kion!" Bunga called back to him, tossing the baobab fruit up in the air. "Remember? _Hakuna-_" Right as he turned to the side, there was a growling hyena in front of him. _"-Matata."_ He finished nervously as the fruit came down and landed in his claws.

"Get outta there, Bunga!" Kion called down to him worriedly, his muscles tense.

But the young honey badger couldn't resist a chance to show off his guts in a fight. "Okay, hyena." He said to the snarling animal, even poking him in the nose with his claw. "You wanna see what this honey badger's made of? I'll show you what I'm made of!"

However, another hyena had snuck up behind Bunga and grabbed him roughly by the scruff of his neck. Both of them just laughed loudly at their little act of trickery. "Hey!" Bunga exclaimed, starting to twitch in the hyena's teeth. "Let me go so I can show that other guy what I'm made of."

Kion could tell by the way that they were acting that they weren't nice hyenas like Jasiri and Madoa, his hyena rescuers back when he was lost in the Outlands as a little cub, and that they didn't respect the Circle of Life. And he was right. These hyenas were called Cheezi and Chungu, the right-paw members that belonged to Janja's clan. It goes to say that in this case, one bad fruit ruined the entire tree.

"Hyenas! Put Bunga down!" He shouted down to them. "Pick on someone your own size!"

"Kion!" Cheezi called up to the young prince. "You want the honey badger?" He laughed. "Come and get him." He dared him.

"Let him go!" Kion yelled, still not moving from his spot. "You hyenas don't want any trouble with my dad!"

"Oh, just like how you'd get in trouble if you came into the Outlands. Again." Cheezi retorted back.

Kion clenched his jaw. So it seems that word of the incident had spread all across the Pride Lands and in the Outlands. Just his luck.

Both Cheezi and Chungu laughed at their teasing. "Uh, Kion?" Bunga called up to his friend, hoping for a rescue any time.

"He's too afraid to come down here." Chungu continued to taunt, still holding Bunga by the nape of his neck with his teeth.

"Yeah!" Cheezi agreed. "Fraidy cat! Fraidy cat!"

The two taunts that were repeating made Kion glare at them and turn away angrily. He already got into big trouble with his dad once before when it came to the Outlands. He couldn't disobey him yet again. But yet, Bunga was in danger. His mind was telling him one thing, while his gut was telling him another. But he couldn't decide which one to listen to.

"All right, yeah. Fun's over." Cheezi said, interrupting the taunts. "Janja needs his lunch."

"Lunch?" Bunga gulped.

"No!" Kion exclaimed.

Suddenly, he felt a surge of something powerful stirring up inside of him. He then made one last command down at them, using every bit of power in his voice.

"Let. Him. GO!" He yelled, and then his yell turned into a mighty loud roar, even for a cub. It sounded as if he was an adult lion instead of a cub, and that there were others were roaring with him. The clouds that suddenly above him had morphed into lion heads, and they seemed to be roaring with Kion.

Everyone down there looked up at him with awe. Chungu's jaw even dropped down in a gape, unintentionally dropping Bunga as well. Kion roared once more before a rusty orange mark of a lion's head suddenly appeared on his left shoulder as he glared fiercely at the two hyenas.

Seeing his chance, Bunga put the baobab fruit in Chungu's mouth and jumped on Cheezi's head. "See ya, hyena! Wouldn't wanna be ya!" He called to him as he quickly made his way back up to the cliff and into the Pride Lands.

By now, Kion had realized what had happened. "_Heyvi kabisa._" He said. "What was that?" The roaring lion head that appeared on his shoulder quickly vanished after that.

Seeing that there was no more trouble, Kion and Bunga began heading back to Pride Rock. "_Zuka Zama!_" Bunga exclaimed. "Kion, how'd you roar like that?"

"I don't know, Bunga." Kion admitted. "Wish I did, though."

"Well, however you did it, it was un-bunga-lievable!" Bunga said.

* * *

Back at Pride Rock, Nala and Simba were at the peak of their home along with Rafiki upon hearing Kion's thunderous roar. However, they were amazed that that roar belonged to their young son.

"That was Kion's roar?" Nala asked.

Rafiki laughed joyfully. "Yes, Nala, yes!" He confirmed. "He is ready! It is time!"

"No, Rafiki." Simba disagreed. "He can't possibly be ready. He's still a cub."

The mjuzi came over to the king. "Simba, Simba, you heard the Roar!"

"I heard it." Simba said. "It's just, it's a big responsibility. I need more time to prepare him."

Nala faced her mate. "I think you've just ran out of time, Simba." She said, knowing that their son can finally know his place in the Circle of Life. "You need to tell him."

"But Nala-" Simba began to protest as his mate started to leave.

"Listen to Rafiki, Simba." She calmly cut him off, and then she entered the cave.

Rafiki gently placed an arm over Simba. "Kion is ready." He said. "It is time."

By then, Kion and Bunga had arrived on the scene. "Time for what?" Kion asked. "Dad, Rafiki, what's going on?"

Rafiki nudged Simba, who gave him a glare. There was no turning back now.

"Son, we need to talk." Simba said.

Kion felt something uncomfortable crawl up his spine. He had a shaking feeling that he wasn't going to like this.

* * *

Kion's mind and heart were racing giddily, feeling the most excited he had ever felt before. His father had just asked him to assemble the new Lion Guard! Now he knows his role in the Circle of Life. No longer would he just be sitting on the sidelines as just a prince. He could finally be someone important! All he needed to do was to find the best of the best in the Pride Lands for the Bravest, the Strongest, the Fastest, and the Keenest of Sight.

As leader of the new Lion Guard, he was meant to be the Fiercest, so that meant that he had the Roar of the Elders. It was a magical and powerful roar that whenever he needed to, the Lions of the Past would roar with him. He just had to tell Kiara this. He couldn't wait to see the look on her face when she hears this!

He already knew who was the bravest in the Pride Lands, and that was his best friend. The honey badger was overjoyed by the request. "I can't wait to tell my Uncle Timon and Uncle Pumbaa!" He exclaimed.

Just then, they heard a scream in the distance. "Little help?" It sounded feminine.

Kion rolled his eyes. He knew who that voice belonged to.

"Sounds like Kiara's friend, Zuri." He said with mild annoyance.

Zuri was always one for keeping her claws nicely sharp and shiny. Basically, she liked to always look pretty. Honestly, Kion couldn't care less about it. What was the point of looking nice if you're going to get your fur at least a little ruffled up later?

However, Bunga was more excited, thinking that it could be their first mission as the new Lion Guard, even though the others hadn't been called yet. He rushed off towards the voice, with Kion following behind.

When he finally caught up with him, Kion saw Bunga standing on the log, Kiara and Tiifu comforting a crying Zuri, who had her left paw up, and Timon and Pumbaa digging into a rotten old log, filled with grubs.

Tiifu had pale cream fur with slightly darker speckles across her face and green eyes, while Zuri had a similar shade of peach matching Kiara's fur, except a little bit darker, and blue eyes. The latter was slightly moaning in pain as she held her paw off the ground.

"What happened here?" Kion asked, though immediately after he said that, he had a feeling he was going to regret it.

"I, I broke a claw!" Zuri cried, showing her left paw to see that one of her claws was snapped in half. "It hurts."

"It's okay, Zuri." Tiifu said, giving her friend a reassuring nuzzle. "You're gonna be just fine."

Kion jumped down to where everyone else was. "Hey, Kiara." He greeted his sister. "How'd the gazelle tracking go?"

Kiara sighed. "We never got to the gazelles." She said. "Zuri got her claws stuck in a tree."

_Why does that not surprise me?_ Kion thought to himself with annoyance7.

But then, Timon and Pumbaa appeared out from the rotten log, the warthog's mouth and the meerkat's paws filled with grubs. "And then she fell face-first into a log full of bugs!" Pumbaa continued, his mouth full.

The four lion cubs all cringed in disgust. "Bugs are so...gross." Zuri said.

But Timon and Pumbaa just came over to them. "And so delicious!" Timon added. Then, he climbed on top of Tiifu and picked out a bug that was behind Zuri's ear. "Ooh! Another one!"

Zuri screamed. "G-Get it away!" She said. Timon did as he came back over to Pumbaa. Zuri tried to move herself further away, but she used her bad paw. "Ow! My paw!"

Timon just shrugged and then ate the bug in one bite, just as Bunga came down to the group. "Hey, everyone! Everyone!" He said. "Listen to this! Simba just put Kion in charge of the new Lion Guard." He announced while gesturing to Kion, who stood tall and proud.

"Lion Guard?" Kiara asked, raising a curious brow. "What's a Lion Guard?"

"Dad just told me about it." Kion answered her. "The Lion Guard is the team that protects the Pride Lands and defends the Circle of Life. And I'm its new leader."

"I'm gonna be on the Lion Guard too!" Bunga added excitedly, doing a flip in the air. "It's un-bunga-lievable!"

"You and Bunga?" Kiara laughed, as if she didn't believe it. "Protecting the Pride Lands? Does Dad know about this?"

"_Dad_ told me to assemble the Pride Lands' best." Kion corrected her with a smirk.

While the two royal siblings were talking; or rather arguing, Bunga was pleading with his uncles to allow him to be on the Guard. They were a little bit hesitant about his request, but then Kion stepped in.

"Timon, Pumbaa, please." He asked. "I really do need Bunga on the Lion Guard. He's the bravest animal I know."

Timon's eyes widened with pride. "Bravest animal you know?" He repeated.

"He's brave, all right." Kiara said in agreement, before muttering over to her friends. "Brave bordering on stupid."

"Thanks, Kiara." Bunga said, not really getting it.

"Well, when you put it that way…" Pumbaa said, he and Timon coming to a decision. The meerkat came over to shake his adoptive nephew's claw.

"Congratulations, Bunga." He said. "We always knew you had it in ya."

"Oh, brother." Kiara muttered, while rolling her eyes. "Kion's gonna wreck the Pride Lands before I even get to be queen."

Kion heard that and scoffed at his sister, a smirk on his face. "Not the way I see, sis." He said.

He took a playful pouncing position, inching closer to his sister, making her back up as he started to sing.

_**Kion**: I'm gonna lead a mighty guard,_  
_So enemies beware!_

He tackled her and then pinned her down before walking away with pep in his steps. Kiara just rolled her eyes as she shook her fur.

_**Kiara**: Well, I've never seen a bro of mine_  
_Acting like this is an answer to a prayer._

Kion just rolled his eyes at her as he confidently strutted past Tiifu and Zuri with Bunga, Timon, and Pumbaa following him in a line.

_**Kion**: We're gonna be the main event_  
_Like no guard was before._  
_I'm brushing up on looking down_  
_I'm working on my roar!_

When he sang that, he actually roared at Kiara and her friends, making them jump up at the ferocity of it and then slip into a nearby mud puddle, making them all very annoyed. Well, it wasn't the Roar of the Elders, but it was a pretty good one for a young lion cub.

_**Kiara**: Thus far, a rather uninspiring thing._

Both Kion and Bunga quickly shared a fist bump before running off, Bunga waving goodbye to his adoptive uncles.

_**Kion**: Oh, I've finally found my destiny._

"Kion, get back here!" Kiara said, jumping out of the mud puddle and chasing her brother and his friend as they continued to look for the best in the Pride Lands for the other members of the Lion Guard. Before her friends could complain about their fur, they followed Kiara as well.

_**Kion**: Now for the Strongest,_

_**Bunga**: Then the eyes that ain't beat._

_**Kion**: Then the swiftest in the land,_

_**Both**: And the Guard will be complete!_

"That's far enough, little brother!" Kiara said loudly, getting in front of them, but then Kion saw Fuli racing nearby and called to her.

"Hey, Fuli!" The cheetah heard her friend calling her name and saw the situation. Immediately, she changed course, knowing just what to do.

_"Huwezi!"_ She called, zipping past the three muddy cubs, making them spin around rapidly in circles, allowing Kion and Bunga to escape.

_**Kion**: Free to run around all day,_  
_Free to do it all our way._

"Hey, Fuli!" Bunga called to the cheetah. "Kion needs to talk with you for a second!"

"Okay!" The cheetah answered as she continued to race across the savannah, and then joined Kion and Bunga.

The girls' pelts were thankfully no longer muddy, thanks to Fuli, but now their coats were ruffled wildly by the swiftness of her running. Now Kiara was really steamed and continued to chase her brother and his friends, with Tiifu and Zuri following her.

Finally, she had them where she wanted them by the watering hole, where they were leaping across giant rocks positioned in the water towards the other side. The three females quickly followed them until the three friends had reached the other end, while the girls were standing on a large rock.

_**Kiara**: I think it's time that you and I_  
_Arranged a heart to heart._

Kion just smirked at her.

_**Kion**: Guards don't need advice_  
_From prissy sisters for a start._

Just then, the rock that was underneath the girls moved. It wasn't a rock, it was a hippo. More specifically, Beshte. The girls all yelped in surprise as they slipped off him and fell into the water with three loud splashes.

"Hey, Big B!" Bunga said to their friend, calling him by his special nickname for him. "Kion needs to talk with you for a little bit."

"Okay, Little B!" Beshte replied, calling Bunga by his own nickname for him, getting out of the water. Then the four of them headed off again.

The three girls quickly came out of the water hole, sopping wet. Kiara furiously shook her fur, getting rid of the water and then continued her chase with Tiifu and Zuri.

_**Kiara**: If this is where the kingdom is headed,_  
_Count me out!_  
_Out of service, out of Africa,_  
_I wouldn't hang about!_

_**Tiifu and Zuri**: Her brother's gonna drive her crazy!_

They had managed to catch up with the four friends when they arrived at a large acacia tree, where a flock of egrets were.

_**Kion**: Now I've finally found my destiny._

"Hey, Ono!" Bunga called up. "You up there?"

One of the egrets looked down at them. "What's up, you guys?"

"Kion needs to talk with us." Bunga said. "He have something pretty awesome to ask."

"Okay." Ono agreed. But then, his eyes flashed yellow when he saw something in the distance. "Guys, you have a K, T, and Z, coming right behind you."

The other four friends looked behind them and saw the three girls coming their way. Kion and Bunga then both smirked at each other, and then they shared it with Ono.

"Commence Operation Feather Dance." Kion said with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"Affirmative." Ono said, and then quickly began leading his flock over to the girls, flying right through them, making them stop in their tracks, since they couldn't see through all of the flying feathers.

By now, other animals were gathering around the action and dance. Kion then took charge, and the animals obeyed with, while the girls were caught in the middle.

_Everybody look left._  
_Everybody look right._  
_Everywhere you look, I'm_  
_Standin' in the spotlight!_

_**Kiara**: Not yet!_

Bunga quickly whispered a plan to some nearby baboons, who nodded their heads. When the girls were dusting themselves from the little ruckus they got caught in, they took them away from the commotion, against their will.

_**Chorus**: Let every creature go for broke and sing._  
_Let's hear it in the herd and on the wing._  
_It's gonna be Prince Kion's finest fling!_

Kiara watched bitterly as the animals danced along with Kion. She always was a little jealous of her younger brother, seeing how easily he made friends with other animals, and how everyone who knew him was so happy for him. She was supposed to be their future queen, yet they were acting like Kion was going to be their king! Just because he had finally found his purpose in life?

_**Everyone**: Now I've finally found my destiny!_  
_Oh, I've finally found my destiny!_  
_Oh, I've finally found my destiny!_

The animals dispersed and went back to their own business. Kiara then saw that Kion and the rest of his friends were nowhere to be seen.

"Oh, come on!" She yelled in frustration. It was moments like this that made her sometimes wish that she was an only child. "KION!"

* * *

Further away, both the lion cub in question and his best friends were laughing. "Man, I've been wanting to do that for so long!" Kion said.

"How long is that?" Bunga asked.

"Ever since she started acting so princessy." Kion answered. "Which was about a couple of months ago."

"Wow, Kion." Bunga said. "But at least you didn't yell at her."

Kion scoffed. "Yelling doesn't get through to her thick head." He said.

When they arrived at a hill, the young lion cub started the discussion. "Hey, guys." Kion greeted them. "Thanks for meeting with me. I wanted to talk to you guys because, well, I need your help."

"What's the kerbubble, Kion?" Beshte asked.

"The five of us are the Pride Lands' Fiercest, Bravest, Strongest, Fastest, and Keenest of Sight." Kion replied, looking at each of his friends. "And that's why I want you all to join the new Lion Guard. Together, we can protect the Pride Lands and defend the Circle of Life."

Ono whistled lowly, impressed.

"Well, lick my tail and call me a meerkat." Beshte exclaimed.

"Hey!" Bunga exclaimed, offended. "My uncle's a meerkat!"

"No offense, Bunga." Beshte apologized. "Wait. Aren't you a honey badger?"

But then, Fuli came up to Kion. "The Lion Guard?" She asked. Then, she scoffed while rolling her eyes. "Figures. Always the lions, lording over the Pride Lands. I suppose Simba put you in charge of this little team, Kion?"

"You bet your spots he did!" Bunga said, coming to his friend's defense.

Kion slightly narrowed his eyes at her. Even though Fuli was his friend, she did have a little something against his kind, probably due to the lions and cheetahs being competitors for food. But this wasn't a time for an argument about superior species.

"Fuli, the Lion Guard needs you." He said to her. "You're the Pride Lands' Fastest."

"You got that right." Fuli said with a proud smirk. "And you're supposed to be the Fiercest?"

"Well, he is a lion." Beshte said.

"And lions are fierce." Ono added before rolling his eyes. "It's kind of common knowledge, really." He muttered.

Bunga then appeared beside Kion. There was only one way that Fuli can start to respect Kion as a leader. "Show them the Roar, Kion. Show them the Roar!"

"What's Bunga talking about?" Fuli asked, getting up into Kion's face, his eyes narrowing in defense. "_'The Roar?'_ You think you're something special just because you can roar?"

Kion growled loudly at her, making her actually flinch. Her attitude towards his species was now starting to get on his nerves. And he thought that lions were supposed to be the prideful ones. Well, this cheetah friend of his can put a lion's personal pride to shame.

"Easy, Kion." Bunga said. Then, he turned back to Fuli. "Wait 'til you hear it! Come on, Kion. Show them the Roar!"

"What is the deal with your roar?" Beshte asked.

"Oh, you totally have to show us now, Kion." Fuli challenged him.

"Stop it!" Kion shouted at her, growling even more fiercely than before. This time, everyone backed away from him with fright.

Just then, Simba appeared, along with Kiara. "Kion!" He called to his son, and came over to him. "Easy, son."

Kion looked back at his father, still with an angry look in his eyes. For a brief second, Simba saw his son change into a haunting and frightening image of the past. His sunny yellow fur turned orange, his short red mane became midnight black, and his eyes changed from warm gold to sharp green. But the scar remained the same.

However, it ended quickly when Kion saw his father and his eyes widened in surprise, and the image vanished from his mind's eye. He took a deep breath, and then exhaled slowly. "Thanks, Dad."

"That's good." Simba said. "But now, why I'm here. Kiara tells me that you've asked Bunga to join the Lion Guard."

Bunga waved sheepishly at the king, while Kion gave a fierce glare to his sister, who had a smug smile on her face. "Tattletale." He quickly hissed to her.

"Is this true?" Simba asked his son.

"Well, yeah." Kion said. "I was just talking to all my friends about it-"

"Your friends?" Simba asked. "Kion, I asked you to assemble the new Lion Guard. Instead, you're playing with your friends?"

"I'm not playing, Dad." Kion said. "My friends are the new Lion Guard. Fuli's the Fastest, Beshte's the Strongest, Ono is the Keenest of Sight, and the Bravest, it's Bunga."

"Kion, the Lion Guard has always been made up of lions." Simba said.

"Actually-" Kion tried to explain, feeling his temper starting to flare up again by everyone's lack of faith in him, but his father cut him off.

"Son, listen." Simba said.

As his father began lecturing him about how the Lion Guard isn't a game, and he should take it seriously like how his sister takes on her responsibilities, Kion looked back over at his friends, and then at Kiara. His friends were watching him with concern, while Kiara was still looking at him with that smug smile.

Finally, he had reached a breaking point. "Stop it, Dad!" Kion shouted fiercely, surprising everyone. "I am taking this seriously! I finally know what my life's purpose is, and you think I'm not taking it seriously?!"

"Kion-" Simba said.

"Would someone just listen to me for once in my life?!" Kion yelled. "Dad, you wanted the best for the Lion Guard, and I found them! And now, you're saying that the best isn't good enough?! Come on, Dad! What are you so afraid of me doing this?!"

Simba didn't answer, but his eyes instinctively wandered over to the scar on his son's face. Kion knew what he was looking at. He had seen that look enough times in his life, ever since he first got it.

"Is that it?" He asked lowly.

"Kion, you don't know what happened after your incident." Simba said. "After you got that scar, many of the animals started to fear that you-"

"That I would end like _him_?" Kion asked, as if it was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard. "Just because I have a scar on my face that I got when I was little because of jackals? Were you one of them that feared that, Dad?"

And then, he turned over to his sister. "Is that why, Kiara?" He demanded.

Kiara trembled. "No, Kion." She said.

"Is that why you started to avoid me like I'm some sort of embarrassment to the _'future Queen of the Pride Lands?'_" Her brother continued in an angry rant. "You don't know what it's like to just sit on the sidelines, not knowing what your place is in life! You had your destiny all laid out for you the minute you were born! Not me! And now that I know my role, all of you either don't believe that I know what I'm doing just because I'm the younger cub, or that you're afraid that I might turn evil! Well, guess what?! I'M. NOT. EVIL!"

With that, Kion ran off into the distance, breathing heavily as he tried to fight back the lump in his throat that was building up. He needed to get away from everyone for a little bit.

"Kion!" Simba called out after him.

"Kion." Bunga called to his friend.

"Little B." Beshte said, stopping him. "I think Kion needs some time to himself."

Fuli just stood there, feeling very ashamed of herself. She had to let her pride go to her head and unintentionally hurt her friend. He was the only one of their group of friends that didn't really know his place in the Circle of Life. Now that he does, she just downgraded him instead of supporting him.

Kiara stood there silently, completely shaken up. She didn't know just how much Kion had been suffering ever since she decided to take her duties more seriously. Tears started to well up in her eyes as she felt the guilt eating away at her mind.

Simba looked down, ashamed. Then, he turned to his daughter. "Go on, Kiara." He said. "Head back to the gazelles."

Kiara only nodded mutely and started to slowly make her way back to where her friends were waiting for her. Simba looked back in the direction where Kion ran off. He thought that his son wasn't ready to lead the Lion Guard, but it turned out that _he_ wasn't ready to let him go.

* * *

Further off, Kion had stopped running and sat down beside a small stream, trying to fight back his tears. Then, he caught sight of his reflection in the stream.

The pink scar on his face stood out against the golden fur. He glared at it hatefully, and then thrust his paw against the water, blearing the reflection. That scar seemed to have been a bane on his life, and he didn't know it until a few minutes ago.

Recalling his angry conversation with his father, Kion continued to take deep breaths to calm down as he started to sing.

_**Kion**: Why, why even trust me at all?_  
_They say the Guard is my call._  
_But then come tell me I'm wrong._

He looked back at his reflection in the stream as a leaf fluttered down and landed in it, gently creating ripples in the water.

_Now what, what should I do?_  
_And who, who do I turn to?_  
_Now everything feels so upside down._

Then, Kion jumped up to a nearby hill.

_Deep down, maybe I knew_  
_It was way too good to be true._  
_With all my friends lookin' up to me,_  
_Some leader I turn out to be!_

"Kion!" A gentle yet powerful voice suddenly called out to the lion cub. He turned around and what he saw amazed him.

There was a lion in the clouds, actually talking to him. The more that he looked at him, the more he looked familiar. The thick red mane, the wise face, looking similar to his dad.

_"Heyvi kabisa!"_ He quietly exclaimed in awe. "Are you-?"

"Yes, Kion." The lion said. "I am your grandfather."

"Mufasa." Kion breathed. "I've heard a lot about you." He remembered the many stories of his late grandfather told to him and his sister by his own father.

"And I've been watching you." Mufasa said. "You are about to embark on a great journey, Kion. Leader of the Lion Guard."

"I'm not sure Dad's gonna let me lead the Lion Guard." Kion said, remembering his recent argument with his father. "He's worried that I can't handle it."

"Kion." Mufasa said. "Simba is worried, but he's worried because he loves you. Being leader of the Lion Guard will not always be easy."

Kion looked down for a second. He knew that his father worried about him, and it doesn't help that he has a scar on his face from when he was younger. "Then, maybe Dad's right." He said. "Maybe I'm not ready to lead, or use the Roar. I keep thinking that he's just worried about me just because of what happened when I was little. Just because I have a scar doesn't mean that I might...be like him."

He was talking about his great-uncle, Scar. He was Mufasa's younger brother, and the previous leader of the Lion Guard before him. But all of that power of being able to use the Roar of the Elders went to his head, and he thought that _he_ should be king instead of his brother. When the Lion Guard refused to help him, Scar used the power of the Roar to destroy them. But because he used the Roar for evil purposes, Scar lost the Roar completely.

"I don't want to end up like Scar." Kion added.

"Don't be afraid, Kion." Mufasa assured him. "Trust your instincts. The Roar will be there for you when you need it. And so will I. Until the Pride Lands' end." With that, his image faded from the sky.

"Grandfather Mufasa!" Kion called up to the sky. "Don't go yet!" But the twilight pink sky was cloudless. The lion cub took in what his grandfather had told him.

"Trust my instincts." He repeated. "The Roar will be there when I need it." Then, he started to sing again as he approached a nearby ledge. As he did, a smile started to form on his face.

_Maybe my journey is far from done._  
_They need a leader, and I'm the one._  
_So now it's time for them all to see_  
_The lion I was born to be!_

_It is time to take the lead on my own._  
_It is time for something bigger than_  
_I've ever known._

_No need to wonder,_  
_The choice is done._  
_Now I believe I truly am the one._

With his confidence in himself strengthened, he heard a gentle growl reaching his ears. Kion looked down and saw that the same image he saw in the Lion Guard Lair hours earlier, and from when he had used the Roar of the Elders for the first time, had reappeared on his left shoulder. The Mark of the Lion Guard.

_So is it time?_  
_Is it time?_  
_Yes,_  
_It is time._

Feeling much better, Kion started to head back to where his friends were. But before he could, Bunga had already found him.

"Kion, Kion!" He shouted to him fearfully. "Janja! The hyenas! They're attacking the gazelles!"

"What? Oh, no!"

* * *

Quickly, Kion and Bunga raced over towards where Beshte, Ono and Fuli were fearfully watching the hyenas attacking a herd of gazelles. From above them, a vulture named Mzingo was flying above them.

"Mzingo is telling the hyenas which one to target next." Ono observed. "Smart. In a devious sort of way."

"I don't get it." Beshte said. "They already scored a couple of gazelles. That should be plenty for all of them."

"Yeah." Fuli agreed, feeling very confused. "Why are they still attacking?"

Just then, Kion and Bunga came over to them. "Janja and his clan will keep going until the whole herd is dead." The lion cub said grimly.

"What?" Ono squawked.

"No!" Beshte exclaimed.

"Don't they understand the Circle of Life?" Fuli asked in disbelief.

"They don't care about the Circle of Life." Kion said, glaring bitterly at the clan of attacking hyenas. "They're not hunting for food. They want to throw the Pride Lands into chaos, and it's up to the Lion Guard to stop them."

"The Lion Guard?" Fuli questioned.

"You mean us?" Ono continued to ask.

"What about what Simba said?" Beshte asked.

"So what if we're not all lions?" Kion asked rhetorically. "I know we're the Pride Lands' Fiercest, Bravest, Fastest, Strongest, and Keenest of Sight."

"That's true." Beshte said.

"Of course we are!" Fuli agreed.

"I guess." Ono complied nervously.

"Yeah!" Bunga exclaimed confidently. "Let's go get those stinking hyenas!"

But before the honey badger could charge, Kion stopped him by placing his paw on his tail. "Hold on, Bunga." He said to his friend. "This isn't a game. We need a plan to take on the hyenas." A confident smile then appeared on his face. "And I think I have one." He then turned to the rest of his friends. "That is, if the rest of you are ready to join the Lion Guard."

Determined grins soon came on their faces. "I'm in!" Fuli said.

"Ditto." Ono agreed.

"Lay it on us, Kion!" Beshte said confidently.

Kion smiled, and then first approached his best friend. "Bunga, you are the Bravest." He placed his paw on Bunga's left arm, and when he removed it, the Mark of the Lion Guard appeared on him in a silvery-blue color.

Next, he went to Fuli. "Fuli, you are the Fastest." He repeated the process, and the Mark appeared on her left shoulder in a bright gold color, contrasting against her pale yellow coat.

Then, Kion came to Ono. "Ono, you are the Keenest of Sight." When he placed his paw and removed it from his left wing, the Mark appeared in a bold gray color.

Finally, he approached Beshte. "Beshte, you are the Strongest." When Kion repeated the process for the last time, the Mark appeared on the hippo's left shoulder in a light gray color.

"We are the Lion Guard." Kion said proudly, gathering his friends together. "And here's what we're going to do."

* * *

Once Kion had explained the plan, the entire Lion Guard stood on the edge of the hill, determined faces hardened and ready for their first battle.

"Til the Pride Lands' end, Lion Guard defend!" The young prince cried out, and the five of them charged down the hill to stop the attack.

_"Zuka Zama!"_ Bunga cried as he jumped onto Chungu, covering his eyes and taking control.

Ono flew up and began attacking Mzingo from the air. Then, he stabbed his wing with his beak, making him fall into a bush. "Looking for something, feather-neck?" He asked.

Fuli quickly raced ahead of three other hyenas. _"Huwezi!"_ She cried. "Nowhere you can run that I can't run faster!"

The hyenas stopped when they saw her and tried to go back and attack a different gazelle, but she swiftly cut them off again. "See what I mean?" She asked rhetorically.

The hyenas tried to go back to Janja, but Fuli quickly herded them up, making them stay in one place. "That's right!" Kion shouted. "Keep going!"

"Coming through!" Bunga cried as he steered Chungu into the hyenas that Fuli had herded up. He jumped off of him just as he crashed into them, making them fall into tangles of limbs.

"Beshte, now!" Kion cried.

"Out of the way!" The young hippo exclaimed to the gazelles as he began charging at the hyenas. _"Twende kiboko!"_

With his immense strength, Beshte flipped all of the hyenas into the air with his snout. Then, the whole Lion Guard started chasing them out of the Pride Lands.

* * *

Meanwhile, on another hill a bit further off, Simba, Nala and Rafiki were watching the battle. "Simba, Nala! Look!" The mjuzu exclaimed. "Kion and his Lion Guard! They have the hyenas on the run!"

"That's our boy!" Nala exclaimed proudly.

Simba only nodded proudly. It seems that he had misjudged his son's decision.

But then, he saw that the herd was now stampeding towards a large rock, where Kiara was keeping watch and was now stuck. "The herd!" He pointed out.

"Kiara!" Nala called out to her daughter.

* * *

Ono was flying above the stampede, and with his sharp eyes flashing yellow, he saw that Kiara had hit by one of the gazelle's hooves, and had landed on her paw badly. "Kion!" He called down to him upon flying back. "Kiara's hurt!"

"Okay!" Kion said. "We need to get to her fast!"

"I'm the fastest there is." Fuli said. "But what do I do once I'm there?"

Just then, Bunga appeared on her back. "Just get me close." He said to the cheetah. "I'll take it from there."

"Bunga?" Kion asked his friend, his head tilted with confusion.

"Don't worry, Kion." Bunga assured him. "This time, yours truly has a plan."

"Okay." Kion complied. "Hurry."

"This way!" Ono said, and he started to lead them to where Kiara was.

_"Zuka Zama!"_ Bunga cried out as he and Fuli began following Ono.

The three of them raced alongside the stampeding herd of gazelles. Soon, Ono had the princess in his sights. "Kiara's trapped behind that rock!" He said.

Fuli tried to get over there, but due to the lack of space between each running gazelle, it was much too risky to get any closer without getting trampled herself. "I can't get any closer!" She called up to Ono.

"Then this is where I get off!" Bunga said. "Hang on, Kiara!" He called to her.

He jumped off of Fuli's back and began jumping from gazelle to gazelle to reach her. However, he did snag himself by the nape of his neck on one of the gazelle's antlers as it raced past Kiara.

But Bunga just smiled confidently. _"Zuka Zama!"_ He cried as he did a flip in the air, freeing himself from the antler and did a perfect landing on the rock that Kiara was behind.

"Bunga?!" Kiara exclaimed, holding up her injured paw. "Have you lost your mind?"

"Never had one, Kiara." Bunga teased. "Now, uh, if you don't mind…" He turned his head back to the stampede. "Scram, ya goofy gazelles! Take this!"

He stuck his tail up in the air and then released a giant cloud of green stink. Due to the horrific smell, the gazelles parted ways to avoid it. Kiara blocked her nose with her paw as she caught a whiff of it.

Bunga turned back to face his best friend's sister. "Uncle Pumbaa taught me that one." He said proudly.

Kiara coughed. "Thanks, Bunga." She said. "You may be stinky, but you sure are brave."

From above, Ono had seen the whole thing and came around for a landing to report to Kion. "Kion, Bunga and Fuli did it! Kiara's safe!"

"Great!" Kion exclaimed. "Have them regroup with us at the edge of the field. It's time to give Janja and the hyenas something to remember."

* * *

Kiara quickly limped towards her parents, though they met her halfway. "Mom! Dad!"

"Kiara!" Simba said as both parents and daughter came together for a nuzzle.

"You're safe." Nala added.

Kiara broke away from her parents. "I might not be if it weren't for Kion and his friends." She said. "I guess he knew what he was doing when he picked them."

Nala gave her mate a smile that said, "I told you so." Simba just smiled back.

"He did, didn't he?" He agreed.

"Look!" Rafiki pointed to the edge of the field, where the Lion Guard was approaching the hyenas, who were licking their wounds.

Janja stopped licking his scraped up paw to see Kion jumping down to a nearby rock, while his friends stood on a ledge above.

"Well, if it isn't Kion the lion cub." Janja said, taking a couple of steps forward as Kion glowered at him. "Nice scar. Want to tell me the story behind that?" When the cub didn't answer him, he just continued. "Oh, never mind. Besides, I already know."

"Oh, do you?" Kion challenged, though inside, he was surprised that the leader of the hyenas knew about what happened.

"Oh, yes." Janja answered. "It was with an incident with some jackals in the Outlands. I was there when I saw it all. But have you told your friends everything that happened while you were there?"

When he just slightly flinched, he smirked. "You and your friends better leave now, before you get hurt." Janja finished with a sinister glare.

Kion began to recall the incident. He must've also seen how Jasiri and Madoa helped him. But now was not the time to show any weakness. Janja and his clan weren't like them, and their kind aren't welcome in his home. So he stood his ground.

"We're the Lion Guard, Janja." He said. "We defend the Circle of Life. You and your kind aren't welcome in the Pride Lands. Ever."

Janja just smirked at him, but then he saw that the red dusky sky was turning dark as giant clouds started to form above them. Kion felt that same righteous feeling coursing through him as it did earlier that day. He recognized it this time, though. And he knew just what to do.

With a deep breath and snarl, the lion cub roared thunderously as the clouds formed the Lions of the Past roaring with him. A powerful burst of wind blew around, throwing the hyenas into the air and out of the Pride Lands.

The other members of the Lion Guard watched in awe. _"Zuka Zama!"_ Bunga exclaimed, jumping in the air. "That's the Roar!"

But they weren't the only ones who heard Kion's mighty Roar. "OH!" Rafiki exclaimed. "Did you hear that?!" He asked Simba.

Nala smiled softly and proudly as the Roar echoed through the Pride Lands. "Kion." She said simply.

Kiara watched the scene below her in amazement. Her little brother just did that?

The hyenas all yelped in panic as they all ran back towards the Outlands. Janja only stopped for a moment to glare hatefully back at where Kion and his Lion Guard was standing in the distance.

"You win today, Kion." He growled. "Next time won't be so easy. And your biggest blow will not be coming from me." With that vow, he vanished into the shadows of the Outlands.

Back in the Pride Lands, the Royal Family, along with Rafiki, watched as the Lion Guard stood tall and confident as they relished in their first victory.

"You see, Simba?" The old mandrill asked, playfully poking the king with his staff. "He is ready. It is time!"

Simba looked down for a second, but then looked back up to where his son and his friends were. "Yes." He agreed. "It is time."

It was indeed time. Time for the Lion Guard to rise again. And with Kion as its new leader, and with such loyal friends of all kinds by his side, the future of the Pride Lands and the Circle of Life will continue to be protected as it runs its eternal course.

* * *

But meanwhile, in the Outlands, Janja and his hyenas had arrived back at their den. The leader came over to a separate cave that was at the very back.

"It seems your little friend is now all strong and tough." He said into it, before licking his paw. "So you better make sure you stay on his good side if you ever see him one of these days. Unless you want your family to starve, and you having more than just sprains."

A pair of purple eyes glared at him hatefully from inside the cave as he limped away.

* * *

**A/N: Just a couple of things to clarify. I decided to make Kion a little bit more hot-headed when it comes to his family and friends. He still keeps a level head, but he's not so friendly when others start pushing on his buttons.**

**The songs I used are a parody of "I Just Can't Wait to be King", and "Kion's Lament." Sorry for those who like the song "Zuka Zama." I really like it as well. Don't worry, I will include it in a later chapter.**

**I really wanted to include the first song to kind of show a different depth of the sibling rivalry between Kiara and Kion, and because I thought it could fit in here. I've seen some videos on YouTube about this song and Kion. However, I don't own any of them.**

**Now, the next chapter will be when Kion briefly reunites with an old friend from his past that he hasn't forgotten about. Until then, I'll see y'all! Please leave a review about what you think.**

**Got to fly! ;)**


	9. A Brief Reunion

Love Beyond Reasons

**A/N: I'm actually surprised that I finished this so soon, after such a big and long chapter last time. Well, the reason why is probably because I hardly have anything better to do than just write for the past couple of weeks. Not that I'm really complaining.**

**So, let's get on with Chapter 8. Roll it!**

Chapter 8

A Brief Reunion

It had already been a couple of weeks since the Lion Guard was reinstated. Simba and Kiara had apologized to Kion for their lack of faith in him and for not understanding his judgement when it came to his choices, and he accepted them. And he also apologized to them for losing his cool. Everything had been pretty good since.

Until Janja and the hyenas decided to return to the Pride Lands to cause trouble. But the Lion Guard managed to once again chase them back to the Outlands, but Kion had fallen into the river that was at the border. The young cub soon managed to get out of the wild river, but he had landed in the Outlands, and his right front paw was a little sore from being tossed around in the rapids pretty roughly.

Since he couldn't cross the wild river to get back to the Pride Lands, he ordered the Guard to meet him at Flat Ridge Rock, which was further upriver, and where he can cross over easier. They reluctantly obeyed his command, not sure if they can handle being without their leader for who knows how long. Well, everyone except Bunga, who was confident enough to try and lead everyone there.

Soon, Kion was wandering through the Outlands, carefully watching his back and minding his bad paw as he walked limply. It was slightly painful to walk, but he had to keep going, or else he was done for if someone who lived here knew that he was here by himself. But what he didn't know was that someone was following him.

* * *

"Didn't expect to come back here so soon." He said to himself, keeping as quiet as he could, even with an injured paw.

Memories of his experience in the Outlands as a younger cub came back to him. He really hoped that he wouldn't run into any jackals this time, or worse, Janja's clan. He can't fight anyone off in his current condition. And if his father found out that he was in the Outlands again, even though he was now the leader of the Lion Guard, he was going to get in so much trouble.

Suddenly, small chips of rocks came down from the canyon wall, surprising him. He sniffed them cautiously, trying to see if there was any scent on them. There was a scent on them, but for some reason, it smelled faintly familiar.

"Hello!" A chipper and mischievous voice greeted him from above. Kion looked up and saw that someone was jumping down the ledges closer to him. "Surprise!"

Kion quickly got into a defensive posture. A hyena. A female hyena.

The hyena laughed. "Didn't know I was up here, did ya?" She teased him.

"No!" Kion said. "I, I knew you were the whole time. Hyena." He snarled.

But then, both of them stopped as they were hit by a strong sense of deja vu. This interaction was very familiar.

Each of them took a good long look at the other. Kion recognized those purple eyes. She looked a little older than the last time he saw her. Her mane had grown a bit longer to the back of her shoulders, and she was about his height. Her form was now sleek and slender.

And the hyena remembered those light amber eyes and the pink two-pointed scar that was on the left side of his face. His red mane tuft had grown slightly, and his build was now a bit more stocky and muscular.

"Kion?" She asked.

"Jasiri?" He asked back.

She leaped off the ledge. "You, you remember me?" She questioned, surprised that he even remembered her when they were little. She honestly thought he'd forgotten about her.

"Of course." Kion said. "How could I forget about the friendly hyena who helped me when I was little?"

Jasiri laughed. "That's true." She said. "And I couldn't forget about the lion cub that jumped in the way of the claws of a jackal to save me." She then eyed the scar again. "Speaking of which, how is it?" She gestured to it.

"It's fine." Kion assured her. "It was just a bad scratch. No infection."

"That's good." Jasiri said. "But, what are you doing here? I thought your father said that you can't come here."

"He...doesn't know I'm here." Kion said. "A mission gone a little awry."

"Mission?" Jasiri asked.

"Yeah." Kion said. "I'm the leader of the new Lion Guard." He proudly showed her the mark on his left shoulder.

"Huh." Jasiri said. "I guess I didn't see it the first time. Otherwise, I might have known about you being the leader of the Guard."

"Do you know about the Guard?" Kion asked.

"Just by what others have said." Jasiri explained. "Word does spread quickly around here, just like in the Pride Lands."

"So, I take it you know Janja?" Kion asked her.

Jasiri rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I know that waste of fur." She muttered with disdain before changing the subject. "So, I take it you're heading to Flat Ridge Rock to get back to the Pride Lands."

"Yeah." Kion said. "I thought I remembered how to get there from the first time, but it seems that I don't."

Jasiri laughed. "That's for sure." She said. "You've been heading the wrong way ever since I saw you."

Kion just chuckled lightly as he tried to walk. But his paw was still in a bit of pain. He grunted from the pressure.

"You okay?" Jasiri asked.

"I'm fine." Kion said. "Just a little sore from being tossed around in the rapids."

"Okay, tell you what." She said. "Since you're practically in my territory, and you're a sitting duck out there by yourself, I'll take you to Flat Ridge Rock."

"Really?" Kion asked.

Jasiri nodded. "Besides, I doubt you can fight off anyone with a sore paw." She gestured to Kion's injured paw.

Kion rolled his eyes, but there was a faint smile on his face. "Yeah, I guess so."

Jasiri laughed. "Come on." She said. "Follow me." She then began leading Kion down a narrow trail between the canyons.

* * *

As they walked along, they spent most of the time talking and catching up. "How's Madoa?" Kion asked.

"She's doing pretty well. Just mostly stays at the cave, watching over the rest of the clan." Jasiri said. "What about your sister?"

Kion rolled his eyes. "It was thanks to her crazy idea of exploring the Outlands in the first place." He reminded her. "And then, our dad grounded us for a whole week."

Jasiri laughed. "That must have been brutal." She said. "Practically staying under cave arrest for a whole week."

"You bet it was." Kion said.

Just then, they saw a chameleon catch a nearby beetle. That got Kion thinking about something that puzzled him for a long time.

"Hey, Jasiri." He called to her. "I know this may sound offensive, so don't get mad at me for asking. Do you really know the Circle of Life?"

Jasiri was a little surprised by his question. "Doesn't everyone?" She asked, but then she realized why. "Oh, I see." She said.

"It's obvious that Janja and his clan don't care about it." Kion said. "So I was just curious why you and Madoa are different."

"Believe it or not, Kion, they are some of us who do know our role." Jasiri said. "And we're perfectly fine with it. We sometimes hunt, but mostly, we are scavengers, eating what's left behind by predators like yourself."

"Geez, I guess Janja can take some pointers from you." Kion said.

Jasiri scoffed. "Yeah, like he would even listen nor care." She said.

"Why not?" Kion asked. "I had that problem at first back when we first met. I thought that you and Madoa were going to eat me. But you didn't. And everyone back home says that I'm just as stubborn as my dad."

Jasiri laughed again at his comparison. "Yeah, I can see where you get that from." She said. "But I don't know. You were willing to give me and Madoa a chance. I'm not sure if Janja does."

"Don't get me wrong." Kion said. "I don't mind kicking his tail every once in a while, but deep down, I really do think that everyone deserves a second chance. And because of our first meeting when we were little, I learned that you can't judge a hyena by their spots."

Jasiri giggled. "I suppose so." She said. "I guess we're more alike than we think. _Sisi ni sawa._"

Kion's brow lifted up. "We're the same?" He asked, translating the phrase she used. He looked down at a nearby puddle, looking at his reflection in it with confusion. Then, he looked back up at his friend. "Huh. I guess I didn't really thought of that."

Jasiri just giggled. "I wouldn't be surprised." She said. "Considering that almost all encounters between our kind are bad."

"Except ours." Kion added cheekily, making her giggle again.

"Yeah, except ours." She agreed.

She then led Kion into a catchy little song that explained more about "sisi ni sawa." Despite all of their physical and behavioral differences, at the end of the day, they were like water and rain; basically the same deep down.

* * *

Soon, they were nearing the area, and Kion's paw started to feel better. He even pressed down on the ground with it to test it. There was hardly any pain now.

"Hey, I think I'm okay now." He said as he started to pounce and romp around. Seeing him act like such a kitten made Jasiri laugh.

"Okay, kitty cat." She teased him with a little grin. "It's best to still take it easy. You don't want to accidentally make it worse."

Suddenly, she started sniffing the air. "What's wrong?" Kion asked.

"We're in Janja's territory now." She said. "And I think you already know that we don't get along." She chuckled.

Kion chuckled as well. "Yeah, I took a guess by when you called him a waste of fur." He said, repeating her words from earlier.

Jasiri snickered, and then looked up towards a ledge. "Well, Flat Ridge Rock is just over there." She said. "I think you're strong enough to make the rest of the way there on your own."

"_Asante_, Jasiri." Kion thanked her. "Thanks for your help. Again."

The hyena smiled. "Sure." She said.

But before Kion could take a jump onto a higher ledge, he stopped. "You know, I really missed you." He admitted.

Jasiri was surprised. "You did?"

"Yeah." Kion said. "I really hoped that I would see you or Madoa again sometime. I thought we could've been friends."

Jasiri laughed. "A lion, friends with a hyena?" She asked. "That's a good one. But, I have to agree. I thought that maybe we could have been friends as well."

Kion smiled. "Will I see you again?" He asked. "I'm still up for those games we talked about."

"You remembered." Jasiri said, recalling that little interaction they had at Flat Ridge Rock when they were younger, before his overprotective daddy jumped in. "Well, we'll see." She said. "Maybe I might swing by and say hi. But I don't know about how your father might react, seeing a hyena near his precious little prince."

Kion rolled his eyes with a smile. "I can handle my dad." He said. "And besides, what he doesn't know can't hurt him."

Jasiri laughed. "Since when did you become the rebellious one?" She asked. "From what I recall, you were the one who was against coming into the Outlands the first time."

"Well, ever since my sister became a prissy stick in the mud after that, I'm usually the one who scares my family and drives them crazy sometimes." Kion said, a cheeky smile on his face, making her laugh again.

"Well then. I'll see what I can do." She said, her smile turning softer. Kion returned it, and he started to climb up the canyon.

"Bye, Kion!" She called up to him.

As she turned to walk away, Kion called down to her. "Hey, Jasiri. If you ever need my help, you just let me know."

Jasiri just laughed. "Me, needing help from a lion?" She asked him. "You can be really funny sometimes, Kion." With that, she walked away.

Kion just rolled his eyes, a fond smile on his face, and continued his ascent.

* * *

It had only been a minute or two since Jasiri had parted ways with Kion. She was keeping her guard as she walked through the canyonlands. She really didn't want to bump into Janja. He would get all nosy in her business, and then he would find out that Kion was in the Outlands.

Rocks suddenly tumbled down behind her, making her jump. She backed away from them carefully, and then when she turned back around, she was almost nose to nose with the last animal she wanted to face.

"Janja!" She exclaimed, surprised. Just her luck.

"Well, well." Janja said, smirking deviously. "If it isn't Jasiri. What are you doing on this side of our turf? You know you and your family aren't allowed here."

Jasiri backed away. She had gained a lot more confidence when it came to Janja and the rest of his hyenas in the past few months. "Just passing through." She said. "So move. Or do I have to move you myself?"

Janja sniffed the air. "Why do I smell that a lion has passed through here not too long ago?" He asked her.

The female hyena laughed. "A lion?" She asked, as if the very notion of it was ridiculous. "In the Outlands? Please. You know as well as I do, Janja, that the only lions living here in the Outlands are Zira and her family. And they are much further west."

Just then, Cheezi and Chungu came up beside their leader, laughing maliciously. "I know you're hiding something." Janja said. "And either you're gonna cough it up, or I'm gonna make you."

Jasiri rolled her eyes. "Okay." She said. "I'll take another path."

She turned to leave in a different direction, but then yelped when she saw that more followers of Janja had already blocked her off. She glared over at their leader.

"Come on. You three don't stand a chance against me after all of my training. What makes you think that all of you can?" She challenged.

It was true. Biologically, female hyenas were much tougher and capable fighters than males. But in this case, she was only one girl against seven older and more experienced males. She can hold her ground against them, but she wasn't so sure how long she can last. She was the only female in her family that was capable of fighting. Madoa could as well, but she was more of a pacifist at heart.

Janja just smirked maliciously as he and his followers began cornering her. "Come on, boys. It seems Jasiri isn't willing to talk. So we'll make her instead."

"Are these all the hyenas you got, Janja?" Jasiri challenged. No way was she going to break down and reveal Kion's presence without a fight.

* * *

From further away, climbing the rocky wall, her words reached the ears of a certain lion cub.

"Jasiri?"

* * *

The hyenas growled as they got closer to the young female. "Me first!" Cheezi laughed as he lunged at her. But Jasiri just easily headbutted him in the stomach, sending him flying into three other hyenas.

She laughed at the sight. "Who's next?" She asked with a confident smirk.

Janja gestured over to Chungu, and he approached her, snarling. Jasiri went to bite his leg, though it was just a false move. She repeated it to his face, making him back up and lose his balance and crash into another hyena that was behind him.

Furious, Janja ran up and roughly pinned Jasiri down onto her back. "Enough playing around!" He said, snarling at her.

But then, suddenly, a shadow appeared over him. He looked up to see the figure of something standing on a large rock, its eyes narrowed fiercely. It jumped off the rock and gave him a mighty paw swipe, knocking him off of Jasiri.

"Kion?!" Janja exclaimed in surprise once he had identified him.

Jasiri got back on her paws. "What are you doing here?" She asked him.

Kion smiled at her confidently. "I'm here to help." He said.

She blinked at him with confusion. It was like when they were younger all over again. But this time with hyenas instead of jackals.

"If you say so." She said with her and Kion upon seeing that the hyenas were back up and starting to surround them. Jasiri and Kion took on fighting stances. "But I got them right where I want them."

With her paw, she scooped up some sand and flung it at two hyenas, momentarily blinding them. Then, in the midst of the dust, she knocked them down by kicking them with her hind legs.

"Hey. You remembered." Kion said, recalling when they both used a similar technique when they were surrounded by jackals as younglings.

"Of course." Jasiri said with a smile. "It's come in pretty handy."

"Yeah. I can tell." Kion said, before paw swiping another hyena across the face. Jasiri then snarled viciously at another hyena that tried to sneak up behind her, making him flinch.

Kion jumped onto another hyena, and then delivered two punches to another one, one to the face and the other one as an uppercut. Then, he headbutted into a third one.

Jasiri paw-pounded another hyena on the head and then saw something. "Kion! Behind you!" She warned him.

The lion cub turned around and saw that two hyenas were sneaking up behind him. But before either side could react, Jasiri slid into action, charging into one, and then pinning down the other one on his back. She smiled at him, who returned it, impressed.

"Nice move, Jasiri!" Kion said.

But then, he saw that another hyena was behind her, ready to bite. He quickly got closer and pushed her down to duck, all while skull bashing into the attacking hyena. Both of them were a bit dizzy from the impact, but Kion just shook it off while the hyena passed out.

Jasiri stood back up. "Thanks." She said. "You're not so bad yourself. For a lion."

"Well, my sister always says I have a thick skull." Kion said.

Jasiri laughed. "That I believe." She said. Not very many can easily brush off a move that he just did without getting a concussion.

But then, the two younger animals saw that all of the hyenas had surrounded them on all sides. "Uh-oh, looks like we're cornered." Kion said as he and Jasiri started to back away to maintain a somewhat safe distance.

Janja laughed as he got up to the front. "Gotcha now." He said.

Kion quickly realized what he had to do right then. "Jasiri, get behind me, now!" He said. The hyena had tried to move forward to attack, but he stopped her with his paw.

"What? Why?" She asked as he turned around to face her.

"Trust me." He said, looking at her right in the eyes with determination and firmness.

Jasiri just stared in Kion's light hazel eyes. Finally, she rolled her own before getting behind the lion cub. "Can't believe I'm doing this."

"Don't know why you're in the Outlands helping a hyena, Kion." Janja said. "But it's the last thing you're gonna do." He laughed. "Get 'em, boys!"

"Gotcha now!" Chungu said to them as he and Cheezi got closer to the cornered lion cub and hyena pup.

Kion just glared at them. Jasiri noticed that the wind had just started to blow the longer Kion glared at them.

Finally, Kion released the Roar of the Elders as the clouds above formed the heads of the Lions of the Past. Jasiri was stunned by how powerful the cub's roar was as it knocked away the hyenas from them and stared up in awe at the lion clouds above her and Kion.

* * *

Over at Flat Ridge Rock a short distance away, the other members of the Lion Guard were waiting for their leader for the past couple of minutes. Then, they heard the Roar.

"_Zuka Zama!_ Kion's in trouble!" Bunga exclaimed. Then he and the others hurried into the Outlands in the direction of the Roar.

* * *

Due to the force of the powerful noise, the hyenas were blown back into a pile of limbs, Janja on the bottom of the heap.

"I hate that Roar." He muttered. Then, he looked up nervously to see Kion glaring down at him sternly. He just returned the glare. "Come on, boys." He ordered his followers as they hastily made their retreat.

Jasiri just laughed as she came up beside Kion, watching the hyenas scamper away with their tails between their legs, whimpering. "Look at them go!" She said. "That is the funniest thing I've ever seen!"

Both she and Kion laughed at the sight until their enemies had disappeared into the canyon. Jasiri took a deep breath to calm herself and face Kion. "Okay, that roar thing, that is definitely something we don't have in common."

"I've seen you in action." Kion said, smirking at her. "You don't need a roar."

Jasiri returned the smirk just as playful. "You know, that is the second time that a lion has helped a hyena." She said before playfully shoving Kion, which caught him off guard for a few seconds.

Something had bubbled up inside of him when that happened; something unfamiliar and it made his heart pound at a fast rate, but at the same time, it was warm and welcoming.

He just smiled at her before the internal conflict inside of him went on any longer. "Well, like I said before, not all lions are alike."

Jasiri blinked, but then returned the grin, feeling something stirring in her chest when she saw his kind yet playful smile aimed at her. Whatever it was, it certainly felt nice, like she couldn't stop smiling at him for some reason.

"He's over here!" Ono's voice ended the little moment as they both turned to see the Lion Guard coming towards them.

"Kion!" Bunga called to his best friend, relieved that he was okay.

Fuli however, was growling at Jasiri as the female hyena quickly got into a defensive stance, snarling at the newcomers. The other members of the Guard also got ready for a fight, just in case. But Fuli was the one who started to take the offense.

"Back off, hyena!" She spat at her, and the two females growled at each other, showing each other their teeth.

But quickly, Kion got between them, ending the stand-off. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" He said. "Take it easy! She's a friend."

"She is?" Fuli asked, confused.

Jasiri herself was a little stunned. "I, I am?" She asked Kion.

He gave her a toothy smile. "Definitely." He said.

But then Bunga came over to him. "But she's a hyena!" He whispered loudly, thinking that his best friend might have gone cuckoo.

"Not all hyenas are bad, Bunga." Kion said. "Some of them are good." He turned to look over at Jasiri. "She's one of them."

"Really?" Fuli asked, slightly impressed.

Kion nodded. But then he remembered what Janja had said when they attacked the Pride Lands for the first time, when he had just formed the Lion Guard. He had asked him if his friends knew everything that had happened when he went into the Outlands back when he was younger. He didn't tell them everything, just that he had a bad run-in with some jackals, which resulted in his scar. But he didn't tell them that he had befriended a couple of hyenas, Jasiri included. Well, he supposed that they might as well know the full story.

"Guys, there's something I need to tell you. Something I should've told you a while ago." He said. "You see, you know what happened the last time I went into the Outlands."

"Yeah, we've heard it like a hundred times." Bunga said. "Kiara brought you along against your will, you two got separated, you had a run-in with some jackals, you got your scar, and somehow, you escaped and made it back home to one angry dad."

Kion briefly smiled at Bunga's version of it in a nutshell. "Well, I didn't tell you everything." He said, watching his friends' eyes widen in surprise. "You see, I met Jasiri back then. She and her sister helped me get back home, and protected me from the jackals."

"Wait, wait, wait." Bunga said, waving his claws. "So you're saying that you two," he waved a claw between Kion and Jasiri, "are old friends?"

Kion nodded, and then looked back at Jasiri. She was still a little shocked that Kion considered her a friend, even for all this time apart, but she gave him a smile.

"She helped me get through the Outlands. Twice now." Kion said.

"And he helped save my hide from some bad guys. Twice now." Jasiri added, repeating his last words while giving him a cheeky look. He just rolled his eyes, but there was a sly grin on his face.

"Well, any friend of Kion's is a friend of ours." Beshte said, while Ono just nodded his head.

The lion cub was relieved and happy that his friends had accepted Jasiri. "You should've seen her take on Cheezi and Chungu." Kion said, mimicking a fighting position. "She was fierce.

Fuli smirked. "I like her already."

* * *

In a matter of minutes, everyone had arrived at the border of Flat Ridge Rock. The other members of the Guard went ahead, while Kion and Jasiri stood back to exchange a few more words. It seems that they had realized how much they needed Kion as a leader, due to a few mishaps that happened while they were looking for Flat Ridge Rock.

Upon hearing Bunga's words, both of them slightly laughed. "Well, I better get back." Jasiri said. "I bet your Roar doesn't scare off Janja forever."

Kion playfully scoffed while rolling his eyes. "If only." He said, making Jasiri giggle.

"Bye, Kion." She said.

"Bye, Jasiri." Kion answered back as she turned to leave. "Maybe I'll see you again sometime?" He really hoped so. After all, they are friends.

Jasiri just laughed at his question, but there was a bright smile on her face. "Not if I see you first!" Then, she jumped down the rock and back into the Outlands.

Kion stood there for a couple of extra seconds, a fond little grin on his face. Then, he rushed off to catch up with his friends.

* * *

As the sun started to set, Jasiri had made it back to her family's cave, the smile from earlier not leaving her face. She had quite a day today, and it was one she was never going to forget.

But unfortunately, as the saying goes, good things eventually come to an end. When she entered the den, she saw that Janja was already there, waiting for her.

"You are seriously going to regret what you did." He snarled at her. "Helping a lion. And not just any lion, but that annoying Kion."

Jasiri just rolled her eyes with a scoff. There goes her good mood.

"Kion and I just kicked your tail." She said. "I can easily do it again, with or without his help."

"Why do you even care so much about that pesky lion cub?" Janja asked.

"Because he is my friend." Jasiri answered, secretly liking the way it sounded coming from her mouth.

"Your friend?" Janja repeated, as if he didn't believe it. "Well, do friends keep secrets from each other? Did you even tell him that you're part of my clan, but a delinquent member of it?"

"He never asked me that question." Jasiri replied. "So of course not."

Janja snarled. "You know what will happen if you don't cooperate with this plan." He reminded her. "And now that your family has little cubs on the way, they need some food and water to feed them, right?"

Jasiri stood there, growling. It was true. She was about to become a big sister in a matter of days. And after the pups are born, they would need food and water more than ever.

"Well, Zira's here, and she wants to talk to us." Janja said.

Jasiri's eyes widened. Every time that lioness came over to the den to discuss plans, she always managed to terrify her.

Janja led her to where the evil lioness was waiting for them. When they came up to her, she faced them. "Well, my dear." She said. "I overheard that you ran into the prince again."

"So what if I did?" Jasiri answered, trying her best to remain brave. "I wasn't going to bring him here so you can kill him."

"Oh, no." Zira said. "Actually, I heard that you are still within his circle of trust."

"And if I am?" Jasiri challenged. "He is my friend, after all."

Zira rolled her eyes at the notion of a lion befriending a hyena. "Well, I actually want to meet this young prince for myself." She said, and Jasiri's eyes widened in terror. "And you are going to help me with that, my dear. I want to see what he truly is made of. And if possible, he might become a formidable ally."

Jasiri growled fiercely at that thought. "Kion would never join up with you!" She shouted. "He's much stronger than you think."

Zira only deepened her smirk, sending a chill down her back. "All the more reason I want to meet him face to face." She said. "If he makes you feel this way, then he must be something...special."

Jasiri backed away, her stance slightly faltering. Zira chuckled deeply upon seeing that. She'll soon see what makes Prince Kion so powerful, and maybe, she could use that to her advantage.

* * *

**A/N: Before you guys get mad at me and start calling me out in the reviews, let me explain.**

**I didn't insert "Sisi Ni Sawa" in this chapter because I want to use it later in the story. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE that song, and it's very catchy, and there's a similar message in it that goes with the one in "We Are One." But since both messages are pretty similar, and need to learned on a much deeper level, that's why I'm waiting on it until the scheme is in place, like in "The Lion King 2."**

**Other than that, I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter! And I'll see y'all in the next chapter! Please leave a review about what you think.**

**Got to fly! ;)**


	10. Meet the Outsiders

Love Beyond Reasons

**A/N: Okay, the final episodes of Season 3 of the Lion Guard really threw off my ship and somehow sunk it. But before I could go into a deep depression about it, I quickly remembered something about my stories that I planned to share, particularly this one. ****This story tells my version about what happened if Kion didn't leave the Pride Lands. If he didn't leave, then he wouldn't have gone to the Tree of Life.**

**Now, I have nothing against Rani, but Kion and Jasiri will always be my OTP in "The Lion King" archive. So I'm still going forth with this story and more in the future.**

**So let's get on with Chapter 9. Roll it!**

Chapter 9

Meeting the Outsiders

It had been at least another whole month since Kion's second accidental trip into the Outlands. And a lot has happened since then. It goes to say that being the leader of the Lion Guard means that things are almost never boring.

Kiara had put in charge as temporary queen once for a little while when both of their parents left for some important royal business at the edge of the Pride Lands. That was on the list as one of the worst days of his life. He had to deal with not only Kiara's snobby attitude, but those of Tiifu and Zuri as well. And then he had to save his sister's skin when she was lured into the Outlands by Janja and his clan with a false attempt to make peace with them. They had been fighting with each other almost the entire day, but they had managed to resolve their differences in order to work together to defeat Janja's hyenas.

Kion did see a slight change in his sister's behavior after that little misadventure, with her knowing that her future destiny isn't as easy as it seemed, which was something their father had to learn himself when he was a cub himself. She even got her fur and her paws dirty to take care of herself and her friends when they were in another unfortunate situation when they were stuck on an island that was created by a flash flood. He was actually quite impressed by her quick thinking and her ingenuity.

But still, he hardly ever saw her whenever he's at home at Pride Rock, or when he's out patrolling the Pride Lands with the rest of the Lion Guard. The only time that he did was for dinner, or when it was time to sleep. A lot of things had changed between them since their trip to the Outlands. But there was something in him that still hoped that not everything had changed.

* * *

One day, he and Bunga were playing baobab ball. The fruit was bouncing across the ground as both the lion cub and the honey badger struggled to get it first. Finally, it landed near a bush. Bunga laughed.

"Now I gotcha!" He exclaimed, reaching for it. But Kion had zipped ahead and pushed it away from him with his head.

"Too late, too slow!" He teased, chasing after the fruit.

"Oh, yeah?" Bunga challenged playfully. _"Zuka Zama!"_ He cried, jumping onto Kion's back, making him fall flat on his stomach.

"Hey!" Kion exclaimed playfully as both he and Bunga tried to reach for the baobab fruit. "The baobab fruit is mine!"

Bunga got off of Kion and quickly grabbed it with his claws, but Kion had managed to get a hold of it with his teeth. The two struggled to pull it away from the other. Finally, Kion gained the upper hand and flung it away, along with Bunga, who lost his grip on it.

But he quickly regained it. "Ha, ha!" He laughed, holding it up over his head. "Winner winner, zebra dinner!" He teased.

"Hyena in the Pride Lands!" Someone screamed in panic. "Hyena in the Pride Lands!" A trio of gazelles were running towards Bunga, so he quickly threw the baobab fruit in the air and ducked to avoid the panicked herbivores.

"Hyena in the Pride Lands?" Bunga repeated in curiosity, turning towards the bush that was behind him, thinking that the hyena might be following the gazelles.

"Alright, hyena." He called out to the bush, which was now starting to rustle a bit, readying himself for a fight. "You picked the wrong day to come into the Pride Lands." The rustling stopped. "That's right. And I'm gonna-"

He stopped when he saw Jasiri jumping out of the bush. "Hey, Bunga!" She greeted cheerfully.

Bunga loosened his defensive stance, recognizing her. "Wait. You're not from Janja's clan. You're the hyena who is Kion's old friend, and who helped him when he was stuck in the Outlands."

Jasiri chuckled. "Well, we helped each other out." She corrected him.

Kion came over to them, a bright smile on his face upon seeing his old friend. "Jasiri! What are you doing in the Pride Lands?" He asked.

"Looking for you." Jasiri said. "I have a problem back home, and I need your help." She sat down on her haunches.

"Is it Janja and his hyenas?" Kion asked.

"No." Jasiri answered, looking very worried. "Actually, it's lions."

"Lions?" Bunga questioned while looking at Kion, wondering if he heard correctly.

"In the Outlands?" Kion added, who was just as confused as his friend was.

"That's right." Jasiri confirmed their suspicions, nodding her head. "They've taken over my family's watering hole, and they won't share it."

"But there shouldn't be any lions in the Outlands." Kion said. Was there something he was missing here? If there were any lions out there, then why hasn't his parents told him and Kiara about them?

"You sure they're lions, Jasiri?" Bunga asked.

A smile briefly came on her face when the honey badger asked her that question, and she playfully scoffed. "I know what lions looks like, Bunga." She said to him with a teasing glint in her eyes.

"Okay." Kion said. "Well, I'd be happy to talk to them, Jasiri. Maybe they're lost or something."

Jasiri stood up and gave her friend a grateful look. _"Asante_, Kion, thank you." She said.

Kion gave her a reassuring smile before taking charge and turning to his best friend. "Bunga. Go back to the lair. Let the rest of the Guard know that I'm going to the Outlands with Jasiri."

"Okay." Bunga said. "We'll meet up with you there."

"No need." Kion assured him, shaking his head. "I should be right back. These are lions, after all. It's probably just a misunderstanding."

Jasiri sighed. "I hope so." She said as Kion came over to her side.

"Lead the way, Jasiri." Kion said.

"See ya!" Bunga called after them. "Oh, and by the way, I win!"

Kion rolled his eyes when he heard that. He can easily imagine Bunga holding the baobab fruit above his head, claiming victory.

* * *

In a matter of minutes, both Kion and Jasiri were in the dry canyons of the Outlands. As they walked along the trail, Jasiri began to make small talk, voicing some concerns that she had.

"You know, Kion, I was kind of worried you might not help me." She admitted.

Kion gave her a confused look for a second, but then smiled kindly at her. "Why wouldn't I?" He asked. "We've helped each other before a couple of times."

The smile that he was giving her made Jasiri start to feel a little warm inside, so she bashfully looked down at her paws for a few seconds before meeting his eyes again. "Both of those times were different." She said. "The first time, the bad guys were jackals, then they were hyenas. This time, they're lions."

"They probably don't realize that there are good hyenas in the Outlands." Kion said. "I had that problem at first too."

Jasiri chuckled. "That's true." She said. "It did take a while for us to trust each other. Back when we were young cubs, and then when you accidentally wandered here after your little swim."

Kion gave her a mock glare. "Hey, you try swimming through those crazy rapids." He retorted back. She just giggled again, making him laugh as well.

Soon, they had arrived at Jasiri's clan's den. There were two adult hyenas sitting on the rocks, but what stood out the most to Kion was the young adult female who was playing with two four-week-old hyena pups, a boy and a girl. It was Madoa. She seemed to have hardly changed much since he had last seen her when he was a little cub.

The two pups were yipping playfully at Madoa, but then they stopped and ran to hide right when they saw Kion. Madoa was wondering why, but then she saw her sister. "Jasiri, you're back." She said.

But then, she stopped in her tracks when she saw Kion. "K-Kion?" She asked, as if she couldn't believe her eyes.

The lion cub smiled. "Hey, Madoa. It's been a long time."

Madoa chuckled as she came over to him, looking him over. "My, have you grown!" She said. But then, she saw the scar on his face. "Your scar."

"It's fine." Kion assured her. "It doesn't bother me anymore."

The two young pups nervously peeked out from behind the rock they were hiding. Kion just gave them a friendly smile, not saying anything. They looked at him curiously, wondering why this lion hasn't hurt them yet. Then, they hid behind the rock again.

Madoa just smiled at him. "You can't blame them for hiding." She said. Kion only nodded in understanding. "All they know are bad lions."

"Like the ones who stole our watering hole." Jasiri added bitterly.

"Well, that's why I'm here." Kion said reassuringly. When they heard that, the hyena pups peeked out from behind the rock again. "I don't know why these lions are in the Outlands, but I'm sure I can clear things up."

"I hope so." Madoa said, looking back at the pups, who were whimpering needily. "Those little ones need the water."

"We all do." Jasiri piped in.

"Then there's no time to lose." Kion said. "Let's go, Jasiri."

She smiled at him, and the two of them took off towards the watering hole.

* * *

After a few minutes, they were almost arriving at the watering hole. Kion and Jasiri were talking again, with the former giving the latter reassurance. However, both of them were unaware that they were being watched.

"Lions are pretty reasonable." He said. "Once we get to the watering hole, I'm sure we can work things-"

He was cut off when a lion jumped out of nowhere and pounced on Jasiri, making her fall flat onto her side. It was Nuka.

"We told you to stay outta here, hyena." He growled at the female hyena.

"Hey!" Kion yelled, and then he himself pounced on Nuka, pushing him a good four feet away from his friend and pinning him flat on his back. "Back off!" He growled more fiercely than Nuka's own when he attacked Jasiri.

Nuka was surprised to see this much younger lion cub actually pounce on him with such strength. "W-Who are you?" He asked.

"Name's Kion." The golden cub answered sternly. "Who are you?"

"Nuka!" Someone called to the older lion being pinned down. "Hey, Nuka."

It was Kovu, coming up beside the other two. He still looked pretty similar to when Kiara first met him when they were younger. He had grown a little taller, about the same height as Kion, and he was a little stronger.

"Kovu! Tell him to let me up!" Nuka begged, trying to get up. But Kion wouldn't let him.

"A friend of yours?" Kion asked the auburn cub, who seemed like he was about a month older than him.

Kovu just sighed. "He's my brother." He answered, making Kion's eyes slightly widened in surprise.

"That's right." Nuka said. "So you better let me up. It's two against one now."

Then Jasiri came over to side with Kion. "It's two against two." She said bitterly as Kion reluctantly let Nuka back up on his paws.

As the two duos began to circle each other, Nuka scowled. "It should be three against one." He said, glaring scornfully at Kion. "What kind of lion are you? Siding with a hyena?"

Kion growled at him again, this time a bit louder than before, making both Nuka and Kovu slightly flinch at the ferocity of it. This young cub certainly had guts.

"What are you two lions doing in the Outlands?" He asked, turning to a more diplomatic tone. "Why aren't you in the Pride Lands?"

"Like our family's welcome there." Nuka said.

"Why wouldn't you be?" Kion continued to question both of them. "I'm sure my dad will welcome you there."

"And who's your dad?" Nuka asked.

Jasiri laughed at his question as they all stopped circling each other. "You know, the King of the Pride Lands. Simba?"

"Simba?" Both Nuka and Kovu asked, Kovu having a smile on his face, while Nuka was plain surprised.

"You really think he would allow us into the Pride Lands?" Kovu asked eagerly.

"I don't see why not." Kion answered. "Especially if you give Jasiri's family their watering hole back."

"Back to the Pride Lands?" Kovu questioned giddily before looking back up at his brother with excitement. "That means I can see Kiara again."

"You know Kiara?" Kion asked him. How does this guy know his sister? And if they do know each other, why hasn't she told him about this?

"Yeah." Kovu said excitedly, before realizing that maybe he was sounding a little too eager. "Uh, it was a while ago." He then looked back at Nuka. "We gotta take him to see Mom."

"Oh, yeah." Nuka agreed, getting closer to the young golden cub. "She's gonna want to meet the son of Simba."

Kion just got closer to the older lion with a stern glare, making him back up. "The name's Kion." He corrected.

"Okay, Kion." Nuka complied before turning to Jasiri. "Hyena. Let's go." Then both he and Kovu started to lead them down the path.

"Come on, Jasiri." Kion called back to his friend. "You'll see. This whole watering hole thing's gotta be a misunderstanding." Cautiously, Jasiri followed, but staying close to Kion.

It was only a minute before Kovu backed up slightly to walk next to Kion, and Jasiri slightly inched closer to her friend. If Kion wanted to feel something because of her proximity, he didn't pay it mind because the auburn cub began whispering to him.

"So, you're Kion, Kiara's brother?" He asked him carefully.

This was actually Kiara's younger brother, the one that she was so worried about back when they had first met. Now that he was really looking at him, he could easily tell that they are siblings. He looked so much like his father, and he was pretty tough and fierce for someone his age, considering how easily he had Nuka, an adolescent, pinned down on his back.

Kion slowly nodded. This young lion definitely seemed nicer than his older brother. "How do you know my sister?" He asked.

"We met when we were younger, when she crossed into the Outlands." Kovu explained.

So they met when both he and Kiara went into the Outlands for the first time, back when they were little. He supposed it must've happened when they had gotten separated right after they crossed the border. That very same day, he had met Jasiri.

Kiara meeting Kovu and him meeting Jasiri. Something inside him was telling him that both encounters couldn't just be a coincidence, with them befriending someone who came from the Outlands on the same day.

"She was looking for you when she realized that you weren't with her back then." Kovu continued to whisper, snapping Kion out of his thoughts. "She was pretty worried."

"Kiara? Worried about me?" Kion asked. Somehow, he found that hard to believe now. "Yeah, that's a good one." He scoffed.

Kovu raised a brow. "She sounded like she really cared about you." He said.

"That was a long time ago." Kion said bitterly. "Now, she could care less about me. While she's worried about her duties and about being the perfect example for royalty, I'm worried about protecting my home, not afraid if sometimes I have to risk my life to protect the Circle of Life."

Kovu and Jasiri exchanged a brief confused glance with each other. Even though it sounds like both royal siblings do look out for each other, they are hardly ever on the same page anymore. Then, Kovu got his eyes glued on Kion's scar.

"When did you get that?" He asked, gesturing to it with his head.

"When I was little." Kion answered. "It happened on the same day when we wandered into the Outlands for the first time. I had a run-in with some jackals."

"Maybe that's why Kiara's acting so differently." Kovu said.

Now Kion had his brow raised. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"If you got that on that very same day, maybe she thought that she could protect you by focusing more on her royal duties and not get you roped into any more dangerous situations." Kovu suggested.

Kion let that sink in for a few seconds. That did sound like a good reason why she was mostly ignoring him after their little trip into the Outlands. But still, she could've explained why if she was so concerned about him. And now, it's not like he can't take care of himself, with him being the Fiercest in the Pride Lands.

Soon, they had reached the watering hole, where Zira herself was taking a drink while Vitani was resting on a nearby rock. Jasiri readied herself, narrowing her eyes at the leader of the lions who stole her family's watering hole.

"Mother! We have a visitor!" Nuka called, getting her attention.

"It's Simba's son, Kion." Kovu said.

Zira turned over to face them with interest. When she saw the lion cub, she resisted the urge to either growl in disdain or gasp with surprise. He looked so much like his father, having his fur color and his mane, but what drew her attention was the pink scar on his face.

"Simba's son?" She asked, smiling widely. "Well, what an honor."

Nuka then came over to her. "He pounced on me." He said.

Zira sighed heavily at that, though she must admit, a much younger lion cub like Kion taking on an adolescent like Nuka with such ease wasn't an easy feat. "I'm sure you pounced first." She said.

"Well, yeah." Nuka admitted.

Zira came over to Kion, who had a friendly smile on his face. So his parents haven't told him about the truth of who they are. Maybe she can work with this. But the hyena was glaring at her hatefully, but she paid her no mind.

"Welcome, Kion." She greeted. "I'm Zira, and this is my daughter, Vitani."

She looked down towards the pale peach cub who came over to her side. She eyed curiously over at Kion and Jasiri. "A lion and a hyena?" She asked curiously.

"Not just any lion, dear." Zira said. "Simba's son." Then her own sons came over to stand on either side of her. "So tell me, Kion. What brings you to the Outlands?"

"I did." Jasiri said, coming up beside her friend, briefly sharing a smile with him. "We're friends."

Kovu looked at the little exchange with curiosity. A lion and a hyena befriending each other? Just like how a lion from the Pride Lands made friends with an Outsider. Maybe Kion and Kiara are more alike than they think.

Vitani however, just glared at Jasiri. But that didn't go unnoticed by Kovu. As much he wanted to bug her about that later, he wouldn't push it unless he was in for a brawl.

"Friends with royalty?" Zira exclaimed, sounding quite impressed. "Gracious! I underestimated you, my dear."

Jasiri laughed. "Kion's not just royalty." She said. Honestly, she didn't care if he was the Prince of the Pride Lands. He was just a lion cub who was an old friend of hers. "He's leader of the Lion Guard."

Zira's eyes widened. "Leader of the Lion Guard?" She repeated, eyes nervously looking around. "But, the Guard isn't here."

"No, but I am." Kion said, taking a step forward to her. "Now, what are you doing in the Outlands? And why have you taken over Jasiri's watering hole?"

Zira was a little impressed that the young prince actually cared about this hyena friend of his. And he seemed to have the same tenacity as his father. She stepped away from the group to stand on a nearby rock.

"So many questions, Kion." She said. "What I don't understand is why don't you use the Roar to give your friend the water she needs."

Kion was perplexed by her words. And he wasn't the only one. "What?"

Jasiri looked over at him. "You can do that?" She asked.

"What are you talking about?" Kovu asked his mother with a raised brow.

"Mom?" Vitani questioned.

Seeing that her cubs were confused, Zira gave them a little background information. "As leader of the Lion Guard, Kion possesses a special power." She explained. "The Roar of the Elders." She then looked down at the golden cub. "Isn't that right?"

"Yeah." Kion said slowly. "How do you know?"

"Oh, I know all about the Roar." Zira said, getting off of the rock, gesturing to Kion to come up beside her. Cautiously, the cub complied.

"You see that little cloud?" Zira asked him, gesturing to a small lone cloud up in the sky. "Try roaring at it."

"Roar at the cloud?" Kion asked.

"What's wrong, Kion?" Zira questioned him. "I thought you wanted to help your hyena friend."

"I do." Kion said, his brow raised with suspicion at the lioness beside him. "I just don't see how roaring at a cloud is gonna do that."

"Kion?" He looked over at Jasiri, who had a pleading look in her eyes. His heart twisted in a tight way when he saw that. "Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to try." He said.

Zira nodded, and then moved away, a little evil grin on her face.

Kion focused on the cloud and then roared loudly at it. Everyone was amazed by the power of it. The Roar channeled itself into the cloud, making it bigger and darker. Then, lightning appeared and a torrent of rain appeared.

"Whoa!" Kion exclaimed quietly at what he had just done. Large puddles appeared all over, and then, the rain had stopped completely.

Jasiri came up to him. "Kion, did you know you can do that?" She asked.

"No, I didn't." He answered her. Then he turned to Zira. "Zira, how did you know that the Roar could do that?"

Zira smirked at him. "Oh, I'd love to tell you." She said, but then she glared over at Jasiri. "But I feel uncomfortable discussing the Roar, in front of a hyena."

Kion glared at the adult lioness, not happy with her downgrading his friend. Zira raised a curious brow, though a smile was on her face. He must actually care about this hyena.

Jasiri was also narrowing her eyes at her hatefully. "Don't mind me." She said. She had a bad feeling that once she got Kion alone, she would try to hurt him. Well, she's was going to try and not let him out of her sight. "I just want my watering hole back."

Zira ignored her and focused on Kion. "Perhaps we can go somewhere more private." She said. "And talk. Lion to lion."

She then walked away from the duo. Jasiri turned over to her friend. "I don't trust her, Kion." She said.

"I know." He said. "But she knows more about the Roar than I do. Besides, maybe I can get her to agree to share the watering hole."

The two just stared at each other for a few seconds. Kion could tell that Jasiri was worried, but if he ever needed help, he knew that he can count on her to get help and come for him.

Finally, Jasiri sighed, knowing that she lost this round. "I hope you're right." She said.

Kion nodded at her, and then looked back to where Zira was waiting for his answer. "Okay, Zira." He said. "Let's talk."

"Wonderful." Zira said, and then she turned to her family. "Children, I'll be back soon." Then, she and Kion went off into a narrow pass.

Jasiri watched them leave and enter the pass, worry etched on her face. She really hoped he knew what he was doing.

Nuka growled at Jasiri. "Play nice, Nuka!" Zira called after her oldest son.

Nuka groaned at his lost chance to get rid of the female hyena. He never liked her, and it doesn't help that she's not like the other hyenas; that she's pretty much fearless.

Then, Jasiri made a false move of suddenly turning the tables on him by growling. Nuka yelped and jumped behind his younger siblings. Vitani just gave him a dry glare, while Kovu looked at him like he was weird.

Jasiri chuckled. "That's right, Nuka." She said to the cowardly teenage lion. "Let's play nice."

* * *

Further down the pass, Zira began to speak. "Kion. Son of Simba." She said to the young cub trailing behind her. "I'm so glad to meet you."

"You are?" Kion asked.

"Oh, yes." Zira said, turning to face him. "After all, it doesn't matter where we live. We're all lions, and that's what's important."

Then, she started to sing as she jumped off the rock she was on a few moments ago.

**_Zira_**_: There is no greater power  
Than to rule over the land.  
__We both have it inside us.  
__It's here where we stand._

She had reached into a nearby hole in the ground and pulled out a terrified mouse by the tail. It trembled visibly in her paw as she gently rubbed the top of its head. Kion watched the scene with cautious eyes.

_My friend, you know it's true.  
__Look close and you will find  
__Ruling every animal  
Is destiny for our kind._

She then released the mouse, and it quickly scampered away. Then, she led Kion into a darkened cave that had a bridge over a river of lava and steam vents.

_So if we join together,  
__We will never fall.  
__Lions must rule forever.  
__Lions over all._

Swarms of bats suddenly flew overhead, making the cub stop in his tracks briefly as he looked up at them with wide and fearful eyes. Then, he looked over at Zira again.

_Lions over all.  
__No animal is more grand.  
__Lions over all.  
__It's why we rule the land._

She jumped up onto a ledge a little higher above the cub. She then pushed down some old bones that were there, and they landed in front of Kion, making him back away.

_We crush any resistance  
__So enemies keep their distance.  
__Lions, lions over all._

Kion narrowed his eyes at the adult lioness, coming up to the ledge where she was.

_**Kion**:_ _If we do what you suggest,  
__We'd be evil and cruel.  
__Using force and threat,  
__That is no way to rule._

As she kept on singing, the ledge underneath them began to raise due to the pressure of the steam. Both cub and adult began to circle each other as the steam began blowing rapidly.

_**Zira**:_ _But if we're joined together,  
__We will never fall.  
__Yes, lions must rule forever.  
__Lions over all._

Zira then showed Kion a swarm of beetles on the ground, running rampant. The cub watched with horror as they scattered everywhere, but then it turned to suspicion as Zira swiped them all away.

_Lions over all.  
__No animal is more grand._

_**Kion**:_ _Stay noble and grand._

They then stood onto another ledge, which appeared sort of similar to the telltale jutted peak of Pride Rock.

_**Zira**:_ _Lions over all.  
__It's why we rule the land._

_**Kion**:_ _We must protect the land._

_**Zira**:_ _We crush any resistance (__**Kion**:_ _Friendship and kindness)  
__So enemies keep their distance. (Will always find us.)  
__Lions, lions over all._

Kion narrowed his eyes at the lioness in front of him, not sure if he trusts her philosophy. "Zira, you and I have different ideas on how lions should act." He said.

"And that's why we're here." Zira said simply. "To talk."

She then led a wary Kion back outside to a large stone that looked like a lion's head. It even had sharp rocks jutting out from the ground and above it that acted like they were teeth.

"Whoa." He breathed.

"It may not be Pride Rock, but we call it home." Zira said, covering up her lie of what her real home in the Outlands was. "This way." She said, beckoning Kion to follow her into the mouth of the stone lion.

But Kion wanted no more mystery as they walked through the narrow tunnel. "Okay, Zira." He said. "We're alone. Tell me about the Roar."

"Don't worry, Kion." Zira said, turning back to him. "I'll tell you all about it. But first, you need to tell me. Which side are you on? Lions? Or hyenas?" She asked.

Kion narrowed his eyes at her. She was trying to make him betray Jasiri by saying that he was on the side of the lions. But it doesn't matter what animals they are. What really mattered is if they respected the Circle of Life. From what he had learned, it seemed that Zira doesn't. And that was his answer.

"I'm on the side of the Circle of Life." He said. "And the animals who respect it."

Zira briefly glared at the cub, but then sighed heavily. "You do take after your father, don't you?" She asked, nearing the end of the tunnel with Kion following her. "I was hoping you'd choose to side with lions. With me. But if that's your answer..."

Once they were outside, Kion saw that there were a couple of lionesses blocking the entrance they came in from. And they were both growling fiercely at him. "Zira, what's going on?" He asked, stopping in his tracks.

"It's your choice, Kion." Zira said, turning back to face him. "With me, or against me." As she spoke, more lionesses appeared behind her. "But if you're against me, you'll never leave the Outlands."

Kion glared at her. "Jasiri was right." He said, taking a couple of steps back. "She knew not to trust you. Now tell your lionesses to back down." He demanded. "You know I have the Roar, and you know what it can do."

Zira just smirked. "I knew someone else with the Roar." She said, approaching the cub. Then she started to circle him. "And when he used it against his fellow lions, he lost the Roar. Forever!"

"You're talking about Scar." Kion realized.

"That's right." Zira confirmed. "Scar and I were close. Very close. He taught me all about the Roar. If it weren't for your father, he'd still be King of the Pride Lands!"

"Scar was never the true king!" Kion shouted, baring his teeth.

For a brief image, Zira thought she saw Simba in the place of Kion, by the way he was glaring at her. It seemed that the scar meant nothing to him. Like father, like son.

"How dare you!" She hissed at him. Then, she turned to her followers. "Lionesses! Attack!"

Kion's eyes widened when he saw all four lionesses starting to surround him. He quickly got himself in a battle ready position.

"Wait!" Zira said, stopping them. Kion looked back at her with confusion. "I'll forgive you for that little outburst, Kion." She said. "If you join me." The cub just narrowed his eyes at her.

"Think about it while I fetch my children." She said to him as she began to leave. "I want them to hear your decision."

After she left, the lionesses once more began to surround Kion, growling at him. Kion just readied himself in his battle position, returning their glares, in case they tried anything.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the watering hole, Jasiri and the children of Zira were all waiting for the return of Kion and Zira. Nuka was pacing the ground growling with impatience, Vitani was sitting on a rock perch near the water hole, while Kovu and Jasiri were just standing, the latter looking back to where Kion and Zira had went off to every few seconds.

"What's taking Mom so long?" Vitani asked.

"I don't know!" Nuka said, stopping his pacing. "But I'm tired of waiting."

He then ran over to try and attack Jasiri again. But Kovu quickly jumped in front of him, blocking him off. Jasiri raised a curious brow at what Kovu just did. He might have just done it because his mother told them to be polite, but then again, they knew that this was a plan. He knew that Nuka didn't like her, no matter how much of an important piece of the plan she is. Maybe, just maybe….

"Nuka. Don't start anything." He reminded his older brother. "Mom said to play nice."

For some reason, ever since this whole plot started, he felt a sort of kinship with the female hyena. They both had befriended a royal cub from the Pride Lands, and they're reluctant to carry on with the scheme. They just wanted to be friends with Kiara and Kion, and they sort of forced to go on with the plan. How can he not feel a sort of bond with her? Maybe, if things were different, they could end it all and be with the twins.

Jasiri just laughed. "Don't worry, green eyes." She teased. "Any game your brother wants to play, I can play better."

"Oh, I'm not planning to play at all." Nuka said sinisterly. Kovu narrowed his eyes at his brother.

"Hey, remember?" He said. "Mom said not to hurt her."

"Why?" Nuka scoffed. "Because apparently, she's the key to get closer to that golden puffball of a prince?"

Jasiri slightly bared her teeth at him. "You better watch your tongue." She warned. "Otherwise, it's gonna get ugly."

Nuka just snarled at her and jumped over his younger brother to attack.

"Nuka!" Zira's voice called out before he could try and strike her down.

Kovu breathed out a silent sigh of relief. "Mom! You're back!" He said.

"Mother!" Nuka called out as she came forward. He quickly placed a paw over Jasiri's shoulder to pretend like he didn't try and pounce on her a few short seconds ago. "Nothing's happening here! We're just playing nice!"

Jasiri scoffed and backed away from his grip, making him fall flat on his stomach. "Where's Kion?" She asked the adult lioness.

"He's fine, my dear." Zira assured her. "He's just...busy." The female hyena narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Now, my dear, I want you to bring his Lion Guard over here." She said.

"Why?" Jasiri asked. "You know that he is never going to join you, and that if the Lion Guard comes, he'll just send you flying back to that termite nest of yours."

"I want to see what he is truly capable of, along with his Guard." Zira explained. "And besides, he wouldn't use the Roar on his fellow lions. Unless he dares to lose it forever." The lioness then glared at the young hyena. "So unless you really do want your family to die of thirst, you will bring his Guard."

Jasiri took a single step back, her eyes narrow slits. "I know Kion better than you think." She said. "He won't ever give in to you. And you're gonna regret this day." She spat those last words venomously as she ran off.

Kovu watched silently as she ran off. He knew that what they were doing wasn't fair to her, but he couldn't refuse his mother.

* * *

Back with Kion, he looked up at the lionesses who were watching his every move. "Keeping me here doesn't make any sense." He said. "I just want you lions to share the watering hole."

"You can tell that to Zira when she gets back." One of the lionesses replied, jumping down from her perch on one of the larger rocks.

"I don't think I wanna wait around that long." Kion said, a smirk forming on his face. He then got himself in a battle ready position, crouching down to the ground.

The lioness tensed up at his words and then tried to pounce on him. But the cub gave her a mighty headbutt to her stomach, and he took the chance to run. The other lionesses went after him, but Kion had already changed direction. When one of the lionesses also tried to pounce on him, he ducked down low and she crashed into the wall. He then bolted towards the empty entrance.

Unfortunately, a lioness had jumped in front of him, blocking his escape. "Whoa!" He slid across the ground to slow down and try to run in another direction, but he was already being pinned down on his stomach by two of the lionesses.

"Nice try." One of them said, keeping a struggling and squirming Kion down on his stomach. "Now why don't we just wait quietly for Zira to come back?"

His response to that question was a fiery glare.

* * *

Jasiri was running through the narrow passes and over the jutting rocks. She knew that she had to bring the Lion Guard because Zira ordered her to, but at the same time, they can rescue Kion and teach her a lesson of not to underestimate him and his team.

Suddenly, the animals she was looking for appeared, running towards her. "Lion Guard!" She called to them.

They stopped once they were in front of her. "I know that Kion said that he'll be fine." Bunga began.

"But we think he might be in trouble." Fuli finished. "Do you know where he is?"

"Yes." Jasiri answered her, nodding her head. "Zira is holding him hostage."

"Zira?!" The whole Guard exclaimed.

"_Hapana!_ Rafiki was right!" Ono said.

"You know Zira?" Jasiri asked.

"We've heard about her." Beshte replied.

"And if Kion is in trouble, then we need to get there. Fast." Fuli added.

"Right." Jasiri agreed. "Follow me." Then, she turned around and began leading the Guard to where Kion was being held at.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kion had pushed himself free from the lionesses' hold on him, and then quickly paw swiped one of them across the face. They growled angrily at the young cub as they managed to corner him.

"Poor Kion." The cub gasped when he saw that Zira had returned with Nuka, Vitani and Kovu. "So helpless without his Roar."

"Mom? What's going on?" Kovu asked her as his mother went down to where the others were, while he and his siblings followed her. "Kion said he'd talk to Simba about letting us go back to the Pride Lands! Why can't we be friends?"

Zira had to bite back a growl when her youngest son said that. It seemed that he still had a desire to see Princess Kiara again. And if so, Kion can gain an ally in him, and then all her plans will be ruined!

Instead, she just turned to him. "This wasn't my choice, Kovu." She said simply. "He's the one who chose the hyenas over us."

Kovu shared a brief worried glance with Kion. Just because he's friends with a hyena, who is actually much nicer than the other members of her clan, doesn't mean that he's an enemy. After all, he and Kiara were friends, so why are Kion and Jasiri that much different, regardless of their species being enemies?

"Aren't we worried he'll use that Roar on us?" Nuka asked.

"If he uses the Roar against other lions, he'll lose it forever." Zira explained. "And if he doesn't use the Roar…. Well, he'll just lose. Either way, we win. Without the Roar, Kion is harmless. Without Kion, Simba's Pride Lands are defenseless."

Kion glared at her when she said that. He knew that he could be pretty fierce and capable, with or without the Roar. He had been doing some training with his parents.

"Kion's harmless?" Nuka asked. Then, he started to laugh as he got into a pouncing position. "You won't pin me down this time!"

He quickly leaped forward and tried to roughly push Kion down on his stomach, but the much younger lion cub effortlessly dodged his little attempt to do so. He then headbutted hard into his chest, sending him flying. He soon crashed near his siblings, face first.

"Nuka, Nuka, Nuka." Vitani sighed.

Zira narrowed her eyes at the golden cub. "This is your last chance, Kion." She said. The lionesses all growled at him, making him back up further against the rock wall.

Kion then looked up to the sky and saw a familiar sight. A smile came on his face. "Zira? I do have something to say." He said. "Til the Pride Lands end…"

"Lion Guard defend!" The Guard exclaimed.

Everyone looked around to see where the voices came from, and then looked towards the entrance to see them, along with Jasiri, charging towards them.

"Surprise!" She exclaimed, laughing.

Fuli was quick to charge and tackled Vitani onto her back, snarling fiercely. Ono was flying above, pecking one of the lionesses on the head. She would try to swipe her claws at him, but she would miss every time. Jasiri was falsely biting at another one, making her run to avoid getting actually bitten.

_"Twende kiboko!"_ Beshte exclaimed as he roughly pushed aside the last two lionesses.

Kion saw his chance and quickly zipped past Zira and charged head-first into the lioness that was trying to swipe at Ono.

"Mother! I'm scared!" Nuka cried.

The Lion Guard, along with Jasiri, quickly gathered all of the Outsiders into one spot. "So, a Lion Guard with just one lion?" Zira asked, making all of the Guard all glare at her fiercely. "Pathetic!" She spat. "Stand tall, my lions. We have this ridiculous group of animals outnumbered."

"Doesn't matter, Zira." Bunga said to her, and then turned to his best friend. "Go ahead, Kion. Use the Roar!"

Kion looked down at his paws. "I- I can't." He said. "That's how Scar lost the Roar. He used it against lions."

"Pfffft! That's not why he lost it!" Bunga reminded him. "It was 'cause he used it for evil! Remember Rafiki's paintings?"

Kion then recalled the truth of the story. "Of course." He said. "You're right!" He turned to face Zira and her followers.

"No! That's not true." Zira tried to cover up. "I know the Roar's powers. Listen to me, Kion."

"Oh, I've listened to you, Zira." Kion retorted back. "Now, you listen to me. As long as I'm around, you're not welcome in the Pride Lands. Or the Outlands!"

Kovu had a bad feeling about where this was heading. So he quietly inched away from his spot, away from the line of fire.

"You...you wouldn't!" Zira said, knowing that he was about to do. "We're lions!"

But Kion just glared at her before he roared loudly and powerfully. The Lions of the Past appeared in the clouds and roared with the cub. Kovu shielded himself from the gust of wind. But Zira and the rest weren't as lucky, and they were sent flying away into the distance, screaming.

Kovu looked at Kion with amazement, his jaw agape. He did feel a little out of place by the way the others were all narrowing their eyes at him. But Kion just walked up to him, a tiny merciful grin on his face.

"You know, you can come back with us." He said, taking the slightly older cub aback. The other members of the Lion Guard looked over at each other with confusion at what their leader had said. "If what you said earlier was true, then I think Kiara would really like to see you again, too. Though she does owe me an explanation about how that happened."

Kovu briefly chuckled. "Thanks, Kion, and I really do appreciate it, but…" He looked back to where his family had been blown away to.

Kion saw it and understood. "They are your family. Whether you agree with their ideals or not." He finished for him.

The auburn cub nodded slowly. Kion just smiled at him. "Well, know that you will always have a friend in me and in my sister." He said. "Maybe one day, things will be different. And you can see her again."

Kovu gave him a small smile. "Thanks, Kion." He said. "It's kind of nice having you and Kiara as friends."

Kion returned the smile, and Kovu ran off to follow his family.

* * *

Meanwhile, miles away, the Outsiders had landed roughly back in their termite-infested territory.

"Oh, come on!" Nuka whined as he got back onto his paws. "I hate these termites!"

Zira just growled angrily as she looked back towards the direction that they were blown from. It seemed that she had underestimated Kion greatly. Well, that hyena friend of his better stick to the plan and stay within his trust circle. Otherwise, both she and Kion will pay greatly.

* * *

Back in the canyons a few minutes later, Jasiri's clan was at the watering hole. The pups were playing near the water, while the two older adults were lying on the rocks nearby. Madoa gave Kion an affectionate nuzzle.

"Thank you, Kion." She said.

"Any time, Madoa." Kion replied.

"So you're the other hyena that helped Kion when he was little?" Bunga asked.

Madoa chuckled. "Yes, I am." She said before turning back to Kion. "I'm glad that we have you as a friend."

Kion smiled. "Me, too." He said, before looking back at Jasiri. His stomach felt a little funny when she returned the grin.

"I'm glad to have all of you as friends." She said, looking back towards the other members of the Lion Guard.

"Back at ya, Jasiri." Fuli said.

* * *

Soon, the Lion Guard had returned to the Pride Lands upon saying goodbye to Jasiri and her clan. Along the way, the Guard had explained what they learned about the Outsiders from Rafiki. Kion made a mental note to ask his father about his side of the story.

And then he remembered when he and Kiara went to the Outlands when they were younger, particularly when their father told them to stay away from the neighboring land. That must've been what he was talking about; warning them about Zira and her followers.

But right now, there was someone he really needed to talk to. When they arrived at Pride Rock, he turned to his friends. "Head on back in." He said. "I gotta do something first."

Everyone just nodded, and then went back inside the Lair. Kion went up the rocky slope to the caves inside of Pride Rock. There, he found just who he was looking for, talking to her friends as they started to get ready for the night.

"Kiara?" He called to her.

His sister turned to see him. "Hey, Kion." She said. "What's up?"

"Can we talk?" Kion asked. And then, he looked over at Tiifu and Zuri. "Alone?"

"Uh, sure." Kiara said and excused herself from her friends. Then the two siblings headed up to the top of Pride Rock.

"What's going on, Kion?" Kiara asked.

Kion wasn't exactly sure where to start. How can he explain to her that he met an old friend of hers that lives in the Outlands? And that he wants to see her again? Finally, he took a deep breath. Just say it.

"When I had to solve a problem in the Outlands today, I ran into someone who said that he's an old friend of yours." He said.

Kiara's ears perked up. "Kovu?" She whispered.

"So you really do know him." Kion said. "I won't tell Dad or Mom about it, if that's what you're worried about."

"It's okay, Kion." Kiara said. "Mom and Dad are really the only ones in the pride who know about my encounter with Kovu, and also Timon and Pumbaa."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Kion asked. "I'm not angry, just curious."

Kiara sighed. "It happened when you and I went into the Outlands back when we were little." She began to explain. "After I lost you, I ran into Kovu. And then, we got into some trouble with a float of crocodiles. We managed to help each other out and get to safety. I thought that we could have been friends, and he was going to help me look for you. But then, Dad and his mom, Zira, appeared. I think you can guess what happened after that."

Kion nodded. "Yeah." He said. There was a brief stand-off between them, and then they left with their cubs.

"Then, we found you with those hyenas over at Flat Ridge Rock." She continued. "And you had that scar on your face."

"It was a run-in with jackals." Kion reminded her. "Those hyenas did nothing to me except protect me and get me home."

"I believe you, Kion." Kiara said.

Her brother's brow was raised. "You do?"

She nodded. "Besides, I have a feeling you had a similar experience to mine back then."

Kion briefly rolled his eyes, but there was a smile on his face. "Yeah, I guess so." He said. "Jasiri and her older sister helped me get through the Outlands."

"Oh, is that her name?" Kiara asked, a playful smile on her face.

"Don't start." Kion muttered, trying to hide a traitorous growing blush. "But yeah, and sometimes, I still see her when there's trouble in the Outlands."

"So you're actually friends with a hyena?" Kiara asked quietly. "If Dad finds out-"

"He'll ground me for a month, and forbid me from ever stepping foot there again, even though I am on the Lion Guard." Kion finished. "Can I actually trust you with this? Only the rest of the Guard knows about Jasiri."

Kiara nodded. "This time, you can trust me." She assured him. "If I managed to keep my meeting with Kovu a secret from Tiifu and Zuri for this long, then I think I can keep yours."

Kion smiled gratefully at his sister. "Thanks, sis." He said to her.

Kiara just returned the smile. "Anytime, bro." She replied, happy that their ties as siblings seem to be mending.

* * *

Back in the Outlands, Jasiri's family was relaxing by the watering hole. Madoa had the little pups beside her, and Jasiri had a whole rock to herself. But then, she caught an unwelcome scent.

She stood from her place on the rock, taking a defensive position. "Janja." She said.

Her leader came up the water hole. "Nice acting skills, Jasiri." He said, a cruel smile on his face.

Jasiri glared at him. "It wouldn't have been an act if he was hurt in any way." She sniped back, teeth bared.

Janja rolled his eyes. "That annoying cub can take care of himself." He said. "I should know. I still have some scrapes from the last time we tried to get into the Pride Lands."

Jasiri coldly laughed. "And he keeps kicking your tail right back into the Outlands." She said. "Why do you even bother tangling with him and the Lion Guard?"

"We have to keep them distracted from figuring out the true plan." Janja explained. "Then, when the time is right, you and that fuzzy fur ball of Zira's can infiltrate the Pride Lands. And now, it seems that Kion seems to trust him as well."

"He's not like the rest of his family." Jasiri said. "I can tell."

Janja rolled his eyes. "Lion lover." He muttered. But then, he raised his voice to his normal tone. "But I hope you're ready. You might not see Kion again for a while. In the meantime, Zira will be training Kovu until he is pretty much a killer. You're gonna start working hard, too."

"Why?" Jasiri asked him, eyes narrowed. "I can already kick your tail."

Janja glared at her. "You're gonna be working double-time around the den from now on." He said. "You won't see that puffball of a prince for a long while. And you're not going to go and get him when you need him if Zira's little scheme is gonna work." Jasiri growled defiantly at him. But Janja just smirked. "Unless you do want those cute little cubs to starve."

The young female hyena looked back over towards where the two little cubs were sleeping with Madoa. Then, she resumed glaring at Janja. But her leader's smirk only grew deeper. He had her right where he wanted her.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, I think one more super long chapter after this one, and then, we'll get into the events of "The Lion King 2." That chapter will finally clear the air between Kiara and Kion once and for all.**

**Until then, I'll see y'all! Please leave a review about what you think.**

**Got to fly! ;)**


	11. Udugu is Found Again

Love Beyond Reasons

**A/N: Finally! Now that I've started my first semester of college, things have been a little crazy, cutting into the time I have for writing. Hopefully, I get used to this new routine soon so that I can find some time to write without homework piling up on me.**

**Now, let's get on with Chapter 10! Roll it!**

Chapter 10

Udugu is Found Again

Almost another whole month had passed since Kion's incident with the Outsiders in the Outlands. He can say this, being the leader of the Lion Guard means that there's almost never a dull moment in the Pride Lands. Unfortunately, "dull" doesn't always mean "fun".

He had quite a lesson about the power of the Roar when he used it in anger to protect his mother from Janja and his clan of hyenas when they had her surrounded in a tight circle, too tight for her to fight back without getting seriously hurt. The Roar backfired on him, and nearly tore up the land around them. When that happened, Kion was afraid of using it again, fearing that he may lose it forever if he did, just like Scar.

But then, he learned from Mufasa that as long as he doesn't let anger cloud his judgement, he can still use it. He took that lesson to heart when the crocodiles decided to take over the wetlands and use Nala as a hostage, supposing that Kion wouldn't dare use it unless he wanted to hurt her.

And then, he and the rest of the Guard met two mischievous gorilla princes, Majinuni and Hafifu, who had come from their home deep in the mountains with a message from their father for Kion's father, but they had forgotten it. So the Lion Guard decided to escort them home and get the message themselves. Along the way, not only did the Guard experience the wonders of snow for the first time, but Kion also taught them what it truly means to be a prince; protecting your home and friends the best way you know how.

* * *

One day, Kion was helping his parents test Kiara's tracking skills. He had to admit, she has been getting a bit better, but he still takes some pride that he was really the star student, with him putting his own tracking and hunting skills to the test almost all the time whenever he would do his patrol with the Guard.

He was hiding behind a large rock near the vicinity of Pride Rock, waiting to see how fast Kiara would find him. Last time, she took roughly about twelve minutes, which seemed long enough for him to curl up and catch a short nap. But then, he was rudely awakened by her tackling him to the ground when she found him, and he pushed her off him and the two had chased each other for about ten minutes after that. Needless to say, Kion decided to remain vigilant in training exercises from then on.

"Now I got ya." A voice quietly exclaimed.

Kion barely had time to turn around after hearing that before Kiara pounced on him and pinned him on his back, laughing. "Sorry, couldn't help myself." She giggled.

Kion rolled his eyes, but there was a cheeky smile on his face as he pushed his sister off of him. "How'd you find me?" He asked.

"Mom's been teaching me how to track by scent." Kiara explained. "Pretty good, huh?"

"Or pretty lucky!" Kion retorted back as he took his turn to pounce on her, and they rolled around the grounds of Pride Rock, the two siblings laughing.

From above them, on a nearby pile of rocks, their parents were watching them play. Simba turned over to his mate. "She's never found him that quickly before." He spoke up, impressed.

Nala nodded. "Her tracking skills are improving." She said.

As they watched their cubs playfully pin each other down on their backs, they recalled all of the progress that they made over the months. Of course, they had noticed that their son was far ahead of his sister during practice, due to him being the Fiercest in the Pride Lands, and the leader of the Guard, which means his hunting, combat, and tracking skills were very good for a cub of his age. But Kiara was showing rapid improvement. Which was essential for a female, since they were the ones who do most of the hunting in the pride. Kion, due to him being a male, he was more needed for the protection of their home, but it never hurts to have extra help.

"They do seem evenly matched." Simba said.

"And that means they're ready." Nala added. "Today's the day."

Her mate nodded in agreement, and they went down Pride Rock to talk to their cubs. Kion was trying to swipe a paw at her, but Kiara was managing to hold back her strong brother.

"Ha! Missed again." She teased him, and then she quickly gained the upper hand and pinned him down on his back.

Just then, they heard their mother clearing her throat at them, getting their attention, pausing their little game.

"Mom! Dad!" Kiara exclaimed as she released Kion, letting him turn onto his stomach. "I caught him faster than ever this time." She boasted.

Kion rolled his eyes. "Only because I let you." He denied.

"Oh, yeah?" Kiara challenged him. Then she pinned him back onto his back. "You gonna 'let' me pin you, too?" She asked.

Kion briefly struggled under her grip, and then managed to push his sister off of him, with her landing on her paws a good three feet away. He tried to tackle her and give her the same treatment, but he was stopped by his father.

"Okay, okay. That's enough, you two." He said, placing a paw in front of Kion.

Kiara laughed and then teasingly stuck her tongue out at her brother. But she stopped when Simba gave her a stern glare.

"I have a surprise for you." Nala said, getting her cubs' attention. "You're both coming with me on the Trail to Udugu."

"The Trail to Udugu?" Kiara asked, sharing a confused glance with her brother.

"Where's Udugu?" Kion questioned, an excited smile quickly appearing on his face. "I've never heard of it."

"Is it in the Pride Lands?" Kiara added.

Nala chuckled at their enthusiasm. "You'll see." She said.

"Taking the Trail to Udugu is an important part of growing up in the royal family." Simba explained to the young cubs.

"And all royal siblings make the journey." Nala added, looking between the two of them. "When they're ready."

"Did you go on it, Dad?" Kiara asked as she and Kion looked up towards their father.

"I never had the chance." Simba said. "I don't have a brother or sister." Then, he looked down at his son. "And don't worry about your Lion Guard duties, Kion. While you're gone, I will be leading the Guard."

"You will?" Kion asked, his brow raised in confusion.

"Perhaps your friends could learn a thing or two from their King." Simba said.

"Uh, sure." Kion complied. "I know Bunga will love it."

* * *

A few minutes later, Kion had already explained everything to his friends about his father leading the Lion Guard for the day while he was on the Trail to Udugu. He bade them goodbye and then quickly joined his mother and sister as they began the journey.

After a few long minutes of walking, Nala spoke. "This is nice." She said. "It's been so long since the three of us have spent some time together."

"What do you think's waiting for us in Udugu?" Kion asked Kiara.

"Maybe a bunch of animals who want to meet their future Queen." She said, holding her head up proudly. But then, she gave a snarky smile to Kion. "And her…. little brother." She added.

"'_Little brother?'_" Kion repeated, offended. "I'm the leader of the Lion Guard! If they'd wanna meet anyone, it's me."

"We'll see about that." Kiara teased, and then took off like a shot. "Race ya!"

Kion smirked confidently. "You're gonna lose. I run with Fuli every day."

The young male cub quickly caught up with his sister, even surpassing her by a few feet. Nala looked at her cubs with slightly concerned eyes.

"I'll get to Udugu first!" Kion called to his sister confidently.

"Oh, no, you won't." Kiara called back.

She quickly grabbed hold of her brother's tail with her teeth, but not hard enough to accidentally cause him any pain. Then, she pulled him closer to her, and she quickly raced ahead of him upon letting go.

But then Kion jumped on her back, getting ahead of her again. But Kiara managed to pin him on his side with her paw, making both of them laugh as they tried to pin the other down.

"You two could compete over almost anything, couldn't you?" Nala asked her cubs when she caught up with them.

Both Kiara and Kion looked over at each other when their mother said that.

"Yes!" They answered, before Kiara playfully swatted her brother on the side of his face, pretending to look away innocently after she did that. Kion just glared at her.

Nala just sighed, briefly rolling her eyes in amusement. "At least you agree on that." She said. Then she once again started to lead her cubs. "Come on. We have a long way to go."

Both siblings smiled and ran to catch up with their mother.

* * *

Minutes later, they were walking through a canyon. By now, the cubs' anticipation was starting to reach a brink.

"Mom, how much longer will it take to get to Udugu?" Kion asked.

"That's a tough question." Nala answered. "Udugu isn't easy to find."

"Don't worry, I'll find it." Kiara said confidently, jumping in front of her brother. "I'm a better tracker than you."

Kion just smirked at that. "We'll see about that!" He challenged, taking a pouncing position. Then, he jumped onto Kiara's back, getting ahead of her.

Both siblings laughed as they chased each other around their mother. Then, they quickly got ahead of her.

"You really think you can find Udugu before me?" Kion asked his sister as she pinned him onto his back.

"Just watch me." Kiara said confidently as she released her brother and raced ahead. But Kion was right behind her.

"Kion, Kiara, be careful!" Nala called out to her two cubs.

Both cubs quickly slid to a halt when they saw that the trail ended to a steep incline down the canyon. But they did almost slide off it, their claws gripping the edge of the incline.

"I got you." Nala said, catching up to them. She gently grabbed Kiara by the scruff of her neck and lifted her daughter away from the edge of the cliff. Then, she did the same to Kion.

"Thanks, Mom." The cubs said to their mother.

"That is definitely not the way to find Udugu." Nala said, looking at her cubs with a firm but gentle gaze.

Both Kion and Kiara looked at each other with worried glances. It seems that this Udugu was going to harder to find than they thought.

* * *

About almost another hour later, the three of them arrived at a thick brush of thorns that was in the shape of a circle.

"Is this really the trail to Udugu?" Kion asked skeptically.

"It is." Nala answered.

"If you tell us where Udugu is, I bet I can find an easier path." Kiara suggested.

"There is no easy path to Udugu." Nala explained to her cubs, who were both getting a little impatient. "But there is a way to get through all these thorns without a scratch." She lifted a branch of thorns with her paw and didn't flinch in pain. "See?"

Both of the cubs raced inside the circle of thorns through the opening their mother provided. "Yeah!" Kion said. "I can crawl under the branches to get through the thorns."

The younger cub then tried to do just that, crouching down low underneath the sharp branches, but every couple of steps, he would stop as he flinched in pain as a thorn scratched his fur.

"That wasn't exactly what I meant." Nala said, slightly flinching at her son getting scratched all over. At least there were minor.

Kiara chuckled at her younger brother's misfortune. Ever since she can remember, Kion always had something with thorn bushes. They were unpleasant, of course, but they were a little funny.

"Of course not." She said. "Over the thorns is the way to go."

The older cub carefully jumped onto the branches and began to step over them. But like Kion, Kiara would stop every few steps as thorns scratched and pierced her paws. "Ouch!" She exclaimed.

"I don't think either of you is understanding me." Nala said.

"What's wrong, Kiara?" Kion teased her from underneath the thorns. "Isn't your…" He stopped because another thorn poked him. "...plan working?"

"I'm- Ow! ...fine." Kiara ignored her brother's tease. "I know exactly…" She stopped talking because another few thorns pierced her paw. "...what I'm doing."

"I hope they make it." Nala quietly muttered.

"This is definitely…" Kion stopped because another thorn had poked him in the side. "...the right way, Kiara. I'm almost through!"

"And I'm almost at the branch." Kiara answered back, now having a slightly easier time walking over the thorny branches. "After that it'll be…" She stopped because it seemed she thought it too soon as another thorn scratched her paw. "...easy! Right, Mom?"

She turned to slightly face where her mother was. But there was no answer. "Mom?" Kiara called again.

"Mom?" Kion called out.

Both of the cubs crawled or walked painfully all the way back where they came until they were once again inside the small clearing between the sharp brush. They looked around the area, but saw no sign of their mother.

Kion and Kiara looked at each other, helpless. "Mom?" They both called out at the same time.

From a few feet away, behind a bush, Nala was watching them. A smile came on her face. "Now they're truly on the Trail to Udugu." She said to herself as she quietly walked away.

* * *

The two cubs had managed to get out of the sharp thorn bushes and were now scouring the area for any sign of their mother. They had split up to try and cover more ground. But soon, their efforts were proving to be futile.

"Mom?" Kiara called out. "Mom!" But there was still no answer. "No sign of Mom on my side. Have you found anything?"

But now, there was no answer from her other family member. "Kion?" She called out worriedly. She really hoped that her brother didn't disappear on her, too.

Luckily, to her relief, Kion popped out of a bush, shaking his fur free of leaves. "Nothing over here." He answered.

Kiara sighed. "How could she just disappear?" She asked before trying once more to call out to their mother. "Mom!"

"We'll find her." Kion assured his sister. "We just have to keep looking. Try your side again."

"I tried my side." Kiara answered with a slightly annoyed tone as she got closer to her brother, making him back away slightly. "If she was there, I'd have seen her."

Kion slightly huffed in frustration. "I know, I just...I can't find her either." He admitted. "If we knew where this Udugu place was, maybe we could meet her there."

Just then, an idea came to Kiara's mind. "Or we could track her." She suggested. She quickly started sniffing the air. After a couple of seconds, she got a familiar scent.

"Got her!" She exclaimed as she came to a small trail through the bushes. "She went this way. Come on!"

Both the cubs ran along the trail until Kiara stopped to see the scent went next. Kion searched the brush for any other possible clues.

Just then, he spotted something leading out of the brush. "Kiara, look! Paw prints." They were indeed, paw prints. Lion tracks.

Kion did a quick study of them. "They look fresh. We must be getting close." He said.

"Come on." Kiara said as she ran ahead, following the tracks, with Kion right behind her.

Soon, they came to a tall, steep cliff. Kiara sniffed the air, but then was puzzled. "What? They just stop right here?" She asked, her and Kion looking up at the cliff.

_"Heyvi kabisa!"_ Kion exclaimed. "Where did Mom go?" He then started to pace the ground, following the prints until they ended right at the cliff. "This can't be right." He said. "Mom couldn't just disappear."

"I don't get it." Kiara piped up, looking back at where they followed the tracks. "We followed her trail. How can it just end?"

Just then, Kion looked up and saw something. "Maybe it doesn't." He suggested. "There's a ledge and a trail."

Indeed there was, just a few feet above the cubs. "I bet Mom jumped up there." Kion suggested as his sister came up beside him.

"Then we will too." Kiara said.

"Ready? One, two, three!" Kion counted.

Both cubs jumped as high as they could, but they couldn't reach the ledge, and they both slid down to the ground.

"Not even close." Kiara huffed with frustration.

"If Mom could get up there, we can too." Kion said determinedly.

"Mom's twice our size, Kion." Kiara pointed out to him. "How can we keep tracking her if we can't jump up?"

Kion thought about that for a few seconds before he had an idea. "I've got it!" He exclaimed. "I'll give you a boost, then you can keep tracking her."

"But what about you?" Kiara asked.

"One of us has to boost the other," Kion told her, "and the truth is...you're the better tracker." He admitted.

His sister smiled at him. "I won't argue that." She said. "Though you're the one who saw the tracks and figured out Mom jumped."

Then, she felt like there was something else she needed to tell Kion. She knew that he had been hurting ever since she started taking her royal duties seriously, and now that he had duties of his own with the Lion Guard, she hardly ever saw him until dinnertime every night, and even then, they didn't really talk much.

To be honest, she really missed him; and she missed being there for him as a sister should. When he came back from the Outlands a month ago, that was the first honest conversation that they had in a long while.

"And Kion?" She got his attention. "I'll admit, I was…a little jealous of you."

"Jealous?" Kion asked, as if he didn't believe it. "Of me?"

"Well, it's just…, you are an amazing leader, you're the fiercest animal in the Pride Lands, and you get along with pretty much almost every other animal there is." Kiara said. "You're the star student of almost everything whenever we would practice with Mom and Dad. Sometimes, I think that maybe you'll be a better ruler than me."

Kion's eyes were wide as he blinked a couple of times, trying to process this new information given to him. But then, he smiled kindly at her.

"I may be the leader of the Lion Guard, but I do know this." He said. "Being king is _not_ for me. You were born for that role, Kiara, as future queen. All I ever wanted was to know my place in the Circle of Life, and now, I have it. And I couldn't be happier."

Kiara smiled. "Yeah." She said. "And also, the reason why I stopped having fun with you was because…I wanted to protect you."

"Protect me?" Kion asked. But then, he realized why. "Oh." He raised a paw to gently feel the scar on his face. It seemed that Kovu was right.

"I felt like it was my fault that you got hurt." Kiara continued. "So I guess I thought that leaving you out would keep you safe."

Kion playfully scoffed. "Have you met me?" He asked her rhetorically. "I face dangerous situations almost every day with the Lion Guard. Even when we were little. Besides, even though it was your crazy idea of sneaking out to the Outlands, me getting my scar wasn't your fault. I just think of it as a case of bad luck at that moment."

Kiara slightly giggled. "Well, I'm grateful that it was just a scar, and not anything worse."

"Me, too." Kion agreed with a little chuckle. "Even back then, and now, we make a good team. And that's how we'll find Mom, by working together."

In a matter of seconds, Kiara was standing on Kion's shoulders, while he was bracing himself against the cliff. "Now up you go." He said.

Kiara struggled to reach at least the edge of the ledge. But it was only within inches of her paw, and she almost lost balance.

"Whoa!" She exclaimed as Kion steadied himself under her weight.

"I gotcha!" He assured her. "Hang on."

Kiara tried again, and this time, she was almost within reach. "Just a little closer." She said.

Kion pushed his shoulders up as far as he could. "How's that?"

"I think I'm gonna make it." Kiara said, straining to reach. She made one last push, and gripped the ledge with her claws. "Yes!"

She then quickly pulled herself up as Kion headed back to the ground.

"We did it!" Kion cheered.

Once Kiara had climbed onto the ledge, she gasped. "I don't believe it." She said.

"Kiara, what's going on?" Kion called up to her.

Just then, a familiar face appeared over the ledge to greet him.

"Hello down there." Nala said as she smiled down at her son.

Kion chuckled with relief. "Mom!" He exclaimed happily, a smile on his own muzzle.

Nala jumped down from the ledge, and Kion happily nuzzled his mother's neck. In return, she playfully ruffled his mane.

"Mom, why did you disappear?" Kion asked her. "I thought you were gonna show us the way to Udugu."

"Actually, I think you've already found Udugu." Nala said.

"We have?" Kiara asked, still on the ledge.

"Is it that big rock?" Kion added.

"No, Kion." Nala said gently, and then she called up to her daughter. "Come on down, Kiara, and I'll explain."

"Uh, okay." Kiara replied. Being careful, the young princess jumped down from the ledge and stood next to her brother.

"You see, kids, Udugu isn't a place." Nala explained. "Udugu is another word for kinship. It's the special bond between siblings. You found Udugu when you decided to work together to look for me."

"We did?" Kion asked.

"Yes." Nala confirmed, feeling very happy for both of her cubs. "And I'm very proud of you."

Both siblings smiled happily at each other. "And Kiara," Nala added, turning to her oldest cub. "You added a new meaning to it when you decided to be honest with your brother. You thought that by ignoring him, you would protect him." Kiara looked down at her paws when her mother said that.

"But now you know that mistakes happen." Nala continued, making her daughter look back up at her. "What really matters is that Kion is alright after that incident long ago, and that you still care about him, despite some initial fears of what others had said about him when he got that scar. But the best way to show that is by being there for him."

Kiara smiled gratefully at her as Kion placed a paw on her shoulder. "And I'll be there for you when you need me." He said. "Always. This scar means nothing to me. It's only skin deep, and you know that I'll never turn against you."

"Thanks, Kion." Kiara said to her brother.

* * *

About an hour later, the three of them had returned to Pride Rock, where Simba was waiting for his family on the peak. "So everyone, how was your journey?" He asked them. "Did you find Udugu?" He looked at his two cubs.

"We found it." Kion answered. "But it's not really a place."

"It's about us working together as brother and sister." Kiara added, smiling up at him. "As a team." Simba looked down at them with pride in his eyes.

"How did things go with the Guard?" Kion asked his father with a sly little smirk on his face. He did have some doubts about him leading his team while he was away for the day.

"Well, in a way, the Guard helped me find Udugu, too." Simba answered, remembering his quite unique experience patrolling the Pride Lands with the Lion Guard. It was certainly something he'll never forget.

"It's an important lesson." Nala added, looking down at her cubs.

"It is, especially for you two." Simba said. The cubs' jaws dropped when their father said that. He then led them and their mother to the edge of the peak of Pride Rock.

"As future Queen of the Pride Lands and leader of the Lion Guard," Simba said, looking at each one of his cubs, "someday you will be responsible for all of this."

What the cubs saw next was one of the most amazing sights they ever saw in their lives. Their home.

Animals in herds peacefully walking throughout the giant savanna, the many species of birds flying above them and through the azure blue sky, and the many beautiful clear lakes and tall trees scattered across the land.

No matter how many times that the cubs would see this in their lifetimes, it would always take their breath away. But now that they've found Udugu, this wondrous sight now has a deeper meaning to it. It won't just be a responsibility for just one of them, but for the both of them. With Kiara as the future Queen, and with Kion by her side as the leader of the Lion Guard, the Pride Lands will eventually become both of their responsibility one day.

"So hold on to what you learned today." Nala said, looking down at her cubs. "Then you'll always have Udugu."

Both Kion and Kiara smiled up at their parents, and then at each other. Then, the royal family turned their gazes to their home, their kingdom. This wondrous land was their responsibility, and as long as the Princess and Prince of the Pride Lands have Udugu in each other, the future of this beautiful savannah will be in good hands one day. Or paws, in this matter.

* * *

**A/N: Now, after this chapter, we'll finally get into the events of "The Lion King 2."**

**Until then, I'll see y'all! Please leave a review about what you think.**

**Got to fly! ;)**


	12. A Plan For True Peace

Love Beyond Reasons

**A/N: Okay, I had this one written out a while back, but this chapter was really easy to write, so don't blame me on that.**

**Anyway, let's get on with Chapter 11! Roll it!**

Chapter 11

A Plan For True Peace

A couple of years had gone by quickly. It was a peaceful night in the Pride Lands. Rafiki was in his giant baobab tree, along with his apprentice, a young female mandrill named Makini. The mjuzi was talking to Mufasa's spirit as he painted two lion figures on the tree trunk.

"Oh, Mufasa." He said to the silent spirit that was felt in the warm wind of the savannah. "Every day, Kiara grows more beautiful into a queen that will someday make us all very proud."

He dipped his finger back into the juicy paint and turned to the lion drawing next to the one that resembles Kiara. "But this cub, Kovu, grows stronger, and Zira fills his heart with hate." He painted around the lion's head, signifying a mane.

Makini was with him, but she remained silent as he talked to the spirit of Mufasa. It wasn't easy keeping quiet as she watched her mentor talk to spirits and paint on tree trunks and cave walls, since she was an excitable young mandrill, but this was part of her training, and she had been getting better as the years went by.

Rafiki then turned towards a different painting, this one having a lion and a hyena painted side by side. "But you must be very proud of Kion." He continued, once more dipping his finger into the juice, and then making Kion's mane tuft slightly longer onto the neck. "He grows strong and mighty, fitting for the leader of the Lion Guard, protector of the Pride Lands."

But when he turned to the hyena next to Kion, he frowned sadly as he put little spots all over its body. "But his hyena friend, Jasiri, I can sense that her heart and spirit are breaking from immense sorrow and guilt. She greatly fears of losing his trust in her."

He placed a hand on his head. "I'm very worried, Mufasa. Things are not going well, no."

Makini looked down sadly when she heard those words. It seemed like this two-way war with the Outsiders and the hyenas will go on forever. Something must be done to end it once and for all.

Suddenly, the wind started picking up, rustling some nearby gourds. The mjuzi and his apprentice looked up at the moving gourds. "You have a plan?" Rafiki asked.

Two round gourds fell down from where they were hanging in their spot, and they both broke into neat halves, juice popping out. Rafiki and Makini looked up at where they fell.

"What?" Rafiki asked.

"Ooo-kay." Makini said hesitantly.

Both of them each picked up the halves of one of the broken gourds, wondering exactly what to do with them. But then, their eyes shifted over to the four new paintings that were on the tree bark, the halves of the gourds symbolizing one of them, belonging to one specific pair.

"Kovu, Kiara, together?" Rafiki asked, slowly bringing the two halves of the gourd that symbolized Kiara and Kovu together into one whole.

"Uh, Rafiki?" Makini cautiously asked her teacher. "I'm kind of hoping that I'm reading this wrong. Because one, it doesn't make sense, and two, it's really a crazy thought."

Rafiki went over to his apprentice and looked over at her halves of gourd and then at the other painting on the tree as she slowly brought them into one whole as well.

"Kion, Jasiri, together? This is the plan?" He wondered aloud as everything that happened in the past ten seconds came into play again.

"So Mufasa wants us to play _matchmaker?_" Makini asked, recapping all that happened in the span of not even a minute. "For Kiara, who's a _Pride Lander_, and Kovu, who's an _Outsider_? And also for Kion, who's a _lion_, and Jasiri, who's a _hyena_?"

"Are you crazy?!" Rafiki shouted up into the sky. "This will never work! Also, you're planning on pairing up _your_ grandson with a hyena?! Oh, Mufasa, you've been up there too long. Your head is in the clouds!"

The wind picked up again, but this time it was a little bit more harsh, wildly ruffling both Rafiki and Makini's fur. "Okay, okay, okay, okay, all right, okay!" Rafiki surrendered, and the wind stopped. "We don't think this is going to work, but I trust you."

"Me, too." Makini said, shrugging her shoulders. "So I guess we are going to play matchmaker."

Rafiki sighed. "I just hope you know what you are doing!" He called up to the sky.

Makini only nodded in agreement as her concerned eyes followed the leaves and dust that spiralled into the air.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Outlands, Zira was examining how much Kovu had grown in the past few years. She smiled evilly. "You are ready." She said as Kovu stood as still as a stone, his green eyes devoid of any emotion.

He grew as tall as a young adolescent lion who had just entered the prime of his life, with a fully developed mane around his head, which was now a slightly darker shade of brown.

"Nice. Very nice." She said, slinking around him. "You have the same blackness in your soul that Scar had." Then, she began to question him. "What is your destiny?"

"I will avenge Scar." Kovu replied, looking stoic and cold. "Take his place in the Pride Lands."

"Yes. What have I taught you?" She asked.

"Simba is the enemy." He answered.

"And, what must you do?"

"I must kill him!"

The other Outsiders roared loudly, knowing that Kovu will avenge them.

* * *

But deep within the canyons, the hyenas were waiting in their den until they can carry out the next part of the plan. Jasiri was lying down on a ledge, looking out towards the Pride Lands. She was now an adolescent as well, her wild purple-gray mane having grown down to the middle of her back, and was now the size of an adolescent lioness, which was as tall as she was ever going to get.

She was staring at the brightening dawn of the horizon with sorrowful violet eyes. It had been so long since she had seen Kion, since he had 'helped' her with the Outsiders, which was almost two long years ago. She guessed that he might have forgotten about her by now.

_No._ She thought to herself, shaking her head. _He couldn't have. He didn't back when we were young. How could he now?_

But then her thoughts went to all of the experiences that they had. He trusted her, and she trusted him. And yet, all this time, it was all part of a sick plan to take over the Pride Lands. She was inadvertently betraying him. Betraying his trust and his friendship with her. The many times she thought of this, she could feel the guilt eating her up from the inside.

Jasiri had once thought that maybe Kovu could help her stop this diabolical plan so that they could end this conflict once and for all, and that they could see both Kiara and Kion more often. But as time went by, and during the very few times that the hyenas and the Outsiders would all meet together to further discuss the plan, she saw that he was getting more and more involved in the scheme. Now, all of the innocence was gone and his mind was completely set on accomplishing what was thought to be his destiny.

But this time, the guilt that was churning inside of her turned into something else. Rage.

She had enough. No longer was she going to be a pawn in someone else's twisted game. If she has to stand alone to do the right thing for once, then so be it.

"Jasiri!" Janja called out to her, making her face him with disdain in her violet eyes.

"Mzingo just told me of the Outsiders' next move." He informed her. "They're gonna wait until the princess has her first hunt. But Kion is planning on doing a solo patrol a couple of days before that happens, which starts in the morning. Do whatever you must, but you gotta convince him to let you stay in the Pride Lands for a little while."

The female hyena visibly tensed up when she heard that. They were nearing the final phases of the plan. Soon, not only will the Pride Lands fall to the Outsiders forever, but Kion will realize her betrayal for all this time. He would think that she had been playing with him all along. The image of his angry and hurt look on his face would be too much for her to bear.

But even if she can't stop the harsh and cruel members of her clan and the evil Outsiders completely on her own, she can still fight against them, maybe even warn Kion of what they're plotting. No more secrets, no more lies. No more being submissive.

"No." She finally growled at him, her purple eyes narrowing.

Janja blinked. "No?" He repeated, his body beginning to turn tense because of her words.

"I don't want to be a part of this anymore." Jasiri growled again, taking a fighting position. "I never did! But then you threatened the lives of my family, so that you would make me think that I have no other choice! But I do! I always had!"

"You're seriously going to turn your back on them?" Janja demanded.

"Never!" Jasiri retorted back with a snarl. "But I will not betray Kion anymore! He put his trust in me, and I'm not going to let that go!"

Janja growled angrily at her. "You're sounding like you actually have a soft spot for that relentless little prince!"

"He's not just a prince!" Jasiri snapped back at him. "And he's not just the leader of the Lion Guard! He's my friend, and I will not take advantage of his faith in me anymore!"

Janja had enough, so he pounced on her. "No one double-crosses me and gets away with it!" He shouted angrily.

But Jasiri managed to headbutt him hard in the stomach, sending him flying off of her and then skidding across the hard ground of the cave. "Of course you would think that." She scowled, getting back onto her paws. "I get the feeling that once the Outsiders get what they want, they'll have no need for you or any of us anymore."

Then, with those bitter words she spat at him, she immediately turned tail and quickly raced out of the many caves and into the canyons.

Janja winced as he slowly got back onto his paws. "Find her!" He ordered his crew who had gathered around after seeing Jasiri fight back against him. "And teach her a lesson about what happens to someone who double-crosses us."

The four hyenas began growling and barking as they raced after the rogue female.

Janja growled loudly in anger at her traitorous actions. Jasiri had betrayed her clan, and all because she could no longer bear the thought of betraying that annoying Kion anymore. Zira wasn't going to like this.

But then again, maybe she could still be of use, even though she said that she was no longer part of the plot. With her on the run, he knew that Kion's heart would bleed for her and that he would make sure that no one will hurt her, not even his own father. Maybe the plan was going to continue well after all.

However, Jasiri's bitter parting words to him began echoing in his head, giving him a headache as he shook his fur and began to follow his crew in chasing after the rogue female.

"_I get the feeling that once the Outsiders get what they want, they'll have no need for you or any of us anymore."_

She thinks that they're expendable to the Outsiders? No way, not after these past years that they've been plotting together. They'll get their land, and they get all the food they can grab. Everyone wins. Right?

* * *

**A/N: The next chapter will take some time, because I'm still in the process of writing it. But I do know that it's going to be much longer than this one, I could tell.**

**Anyway, I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter! I'll see y'all in the next chapter! Please leave a review about what you think.**

**Got to fly! ;)**


	13. Solo Patrol and Rescue

Love Beyond Reasons

**A/N: This chapter actually took a bit faster than I thought. I had the beginning of it written down a while ago, but I was stuck there until a few days ago, when I was rewatching some episodes from the Lion Guard. One episode gave me an idea of how a scene could go. From then on, it was pretty easy to write the rest of it.**

**Well, let's get on with Chapter 12! Roll it!**

Chapter 12

Solo Patrol and Rescue

The next day, all of the lions and friends of the royal family were gathered around Pride Rock. As part of a coming-of-age ritual, the son of the king must do a solo patrol around the entire Pride Lands by himself. And as an extra challenge, if he wanted to, he could bring back to the pride his first successful kill. Though it was mostly the females to do the hunting, sometimes the males would do solo hunts while the females hunt in groups.

Simba took a deep and long nervous breath. He knew that Kion was more than capable of doing a solo patrol and a possible hunt all on his own with little to no problems, but he was still a bit worried about him. His son was growing up. It seemed like only yesterday that his son was just a little mischievous cub, playing and frolicking his days away, playing games with his friends. Now, he was a strong teenage lion, and the leader of the Lion Guard, restoring its lost honor, along with his friends who help him protect the Pride Lands.

Then, Nala and Kiara came beside him, both of them giving him reassuring smiles. His daughter had grown into quite a beautiful adolescent lioness; she was much taller than when she was a young cub, and she was still pretty lithe and slender, her form strong. But she was a couple of inches shorter than her mother, as she was still nearing complete maturity.

"There he is!" Someone exclaimed eagerly.

Kiara knew that overly excited tone as she rolled her eyes with a little cheeky smile on her face, facing towards the entrance of Pride Rock. She won't lie, her little brother had turned into quite the heartthrob of the pride and was the apple of every single young lioness' eye in the Pride Lands, much to his annoyance and discomfort.

The most persistent of his group of unwanted admirers was Zuri, which Kiara found ironic, knowing that back when they were cubs, Zuri wanted nothing to do with him. Mostly because he liked to get his paws and fur dirty, while she would make sure that her claws were shiny, sharp and perfect. But ever since he had saved her from some crocodiles back when they were young, her attitude towards him did a complete 180, much to the disturbance of Kion.

There were a few other members of that group, including Tiifu, but she would just get easily flustered around him rather than flirt excessively like Zuri would do. But Kion wasn't ready to even find a possible companion, let alone a mate, for his duties as the leader of the Lion Guard were his top priority. Romance had always been the furthest thing from his mind.

He had once told her that his admirers all wanted him because of one of three reasons; for his looks, for his status since he was the prince, or because he was pretty much the only eligible bachelor in the Pride Lands. He admitted that a lot of them were really nice, especially Tiifu, but their attitude left much to be desired, particularly Zuri. His sister only laughed at her brother's misfortune, and assured him that one day, someone would come along and like him for who he is on the inside. Kion only sighed with a huff and gave her a sarcastic response of, "I can't wait for that day to come."

Rafiki stood on a nearby rock near the cave entrance as Kion appeared next to him. He was now taller, maybe even standing an inch above his sister, a bit more muscular around his upper body and forelegs, and his mane had grown slightly larger and down to the nape of his neck. The reason for the slow development of it was due to a rare disorder, but when he would reach a bit past his prime, his mane would be fully developed. The two stubborn strands that always hovered above his eyes grew thicker into bangs, along with a third one above them, and the speckles on his ankles have almost faded away completely. The scar from his cubhood years was still visible on his left eye, still long since healed from he first got it, but he knew that he will always have it. His admirers all thought it gave him a roguish hero look. And the mark of the Lion Guard was on his left shoulder, as usual.

However, to the members of his family, he looked very much like a younger version of his grandfather Mufasa and his father combined, while still having the same facial features of himself. Kion couldn't be more proud to know that he looked so much like his late grandfather, who had continued to be a guide for him through his growing up years.

"Kion." Rafiki greeted the adolescent lion.

"Rafiki." Kion returned the greeting cordially.

As the young lion came down to his parents and older sister, he ignored the adoring giggles from the young lionesses, but he did hear Timon give him a teasing wolf-whistle from where he was standing with Pumbaa. He rolled his eyes when he heard that, though.

He then saw the Guard standing near the entrance of the Lion Guard Lair. He smiled at them when he saw just how far they all had come in the past couple of years.

Bunga was still as fun-loving and daring as ever, even though he now reached up to Kion's shoulders, and the quills on his head had grown longer, as did his claws. His upper arms have also grown a bit more muscular.

Beshte was still a gentle giant, even though he was now almost the same size as his father. The tuft of hair on his head was longer, the bangs almost falling into his eyes, and he had whiskers beginning to form on his face.

Ono was almost the same size as Bunga, his neck and legs slightly longer than when he was younger. The pale orange crown feathers on his head were also longer. But his eyesight still never failed the team, neither did his brains and sarcastic wit.

And Fuli had become a very pretty cheetah. She was about the same size as Kiara, and her spots had gotten darker. Her tail was also longer to help her balance when she runs, and she was still very lithe, slender and agile.

All of them gave him words and gestures of encouragement when Kion walked past them. At first, they were eager to help him with the patrol, but he reminded them that this was a solo patrol, meaning that he had to do this alone. However, he told them that if anything dangerous comes up that he couldn't handle on his own, he'll let them know.

When he came over to his family, he nuzzled his mother as she returned the same affection to the back of his neck. "You'll do great." Nala said.

Then, when Kion turned to his sister, she gave him a friendly swat on the shoulder, even though he was now about an inch taller than her because of his larger mane. "Show them what you got, little bro." She said proudly.

Kion playfully narrowed his eyes at her. "By five minutes." He said in a mock annoyed tone. Both siblings just chuckled at the little joke as they gave each other a friendly headbutt.

When Kion turned over to the side to face his father, he saw that he was worried. "Dad?" He asked him hesitantly, his brows slightly furrowed.

He really hoped that his father didn't change his mind and decided to delay his first solo patrol just because he was concerned for him. He knew that he can take care of himself, but still, his father was still a bit overprotective of him and Kiara.

Simba sighed heavily, seeing the brief flash of worry in his son's light copper eyes. "Just... be careful out there, son." He said.

Kion smiled. "I will." He promised.

Simba returned the smile proudly and playfully ruffled his son's developing mane with his paw, making him laugh. Then, he started down the rock, heading out into the savannah.

Everyone then started to leave the area once Kion was out of sight. Simba and Nala stared out in the direction where their son ran off to. Then, the latter, along with their daughter, left the scene. Simba stayed in his spot, his eyes still glued to where Kion ran.

The Lion Guard came up to their king. "You want us to keep an eye on him?" Bunga asked.

Simba looked down at the adolescent honey badger, and then back up towards the savannah. As much as he wanted the Guard to keep an eye on Kion, he knew that if there was any trouble, Kion will let them know rather than sneaking off. And he trusted his son that much.

"I think he'll be okay." Simba said. "Just keep an eye and an ear out for any trouble." With that, he left the peak and headed back inside Pride Rock. The Lion Guard looked back over at him with surprised eyes.

"I'm surprised he's being that cool with all this." Bunga said. "I was almost sure that he would have us keep an eye on Kion while he patrols."

"It's because he trusts Kion." Ono said, flying off of Beshte and landing next to the honey badger. "More than he does with Kiara. He knew that if Kion was in any danger, he'll let us know. Kiara is a bit more headstrong and would easily go behind her father's back if she knew that he was having someone shadow her."

"Good point." Bunga said.

"Let's go, guys." Fuli said, gesturing with her head. "Let's wait in the Lair until Kion gets back or if there's any sign of trouble."

"I hope that it will be the former." Beshte added as everyone headed down to their Lair.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kion was running throughout the Pride Lands, the wind in his still developing mane and in his fur, making him feel amazingly free. Sure, he feels this a lot whenever he would patrol with the rest of the Guard, but doing this on his own, it kind of felt like he had no other responsibility to worry about. But he does, and he had to stay focused.

He stopped running to catch his breath and started sniffing the air, trying to smell if there were any intruders within the Pride Lands that passed through the area. So far, there was nothing suspicious that were triggering any alarm systems in his brain. So far, so good.

He then continued to run along the perimeter of the Pride Lands, past large herds of herbivores and tree groves full of animals that can either fly or climb. They all greeted and cheered to the teenage prince as he jogged past them, keeping his pace even and steady. He only gave the spectators a bright smile before pressing on. As he did, he began humming under his breath as a familiar song from his cubhood years came into his mind. Then, they became words as he glanced at them, then up at the sky.

_Even those are gone  
__Are with us as we go on.  
__My journey has only begun._

_Tears of pain, tears of joy,  
__One thing nothing can destroy  
__Is our pride deep inside.  
__We are one._

He still remembered what his father had told him and Kiara about this back when they were cubs. He had an idea about what he meant, but he felt like there was still something missing about the phrase that he just wasn't getting.

Just then, Kion caught a new scent. A delicious one. He stopped running and crouched down low when he saw a herd of antelope about a few hundred meters away from him. According to tradition, he could bring back his first hunt if he wanted to. Kion knew that he was capable of hunting and patrolling at the same time.

Slowly, he started to inch his way closer to the grazing herd, his golden coat blending in almost perfectly with the pale tan savannah grasses around him. It was the dry season, but thankfully, it was to be a short one. The Lion Guard had a lot more problems during this harsher time of year, but by now, after a few years, it wasn't anything they couldn't handle.

Kion watched every one of his steps and carefully shifted his weight to remain as quiet as possible as he got closer to the peaceful, grazing herd. Thanks to the many lessons and training sessions he had with his parents, along with a little extra help from Fuli, who had been hunting on her own since she was a young cub, Kion had become quite an expert hunter in theory. Kiara was still struggling a little bit with her stalking, but he was sure that soon, his sister will become a great huntress. Hopefully in time for her own first hunt.

He quietly shifted his paws against the loose dirt and got ready to attack once he was absolutely sure that he was close enough to the herd. But before he could strike, he caught a strong scent coming from the Outlands, slowly getting near the Pride Lands. Usually, that meant trouble.

Kion quickly left the herd without startling them, following the scent. For some reason, that scent was very familiar, like he knew it from somewhere before when he was young. But there was also something unfamiliar about it. He took a few more sniffs, and then his light gold eyes widened in horror.

"Oh, no." He whispered. Blood.

* * *

Deep within the Outlands, near some steam vents, Jasiri was struggling to fight against Janja's followers. She had been running from them and fighting against them all day since she made a break for it late the other night, and she was exhausted.

She already was suffering a few deep scratches on her back and her legs, all of them slightly caked in blood. She panted heavily for some much needed breaths as she glared at Janja, who was cackling loudly.

"Gotcha now, Jasiri." He said sinisterly.

Jasiri was starting to see spots in her vision as she struggled to stay on her paws. But she wasn't going to faint now, just because of the loss of blood. She was a fighter, and she was going to be one until the very end.

"If you want to stop me, you'll have to kill me." She snarled, taking a battle stance despite the pain that she was feeling.

"With pleasure." Janja said, crouching low into a fighting stance.

Jasiri tried to lunge forward as much as she could on her injured leg to try and attack, but Janja dodged it and pinned her roughly on her back, further spotting her vision. "I'm going to enjoy this." Janja said, growling.

But Jasiri didn't waver her hateful glare, despite the immense throbbing in her head as she struggled to remain conscious. Janja raised a paw to swipe at her chest, but then, he was tackled down roughly, away from the injured female hyena, by a large golden blur.

Jasiri carefully righted herself back up on her paws, but then collapsed onto the ground, finally losing all of her strength. As much as she wanted to slap herself for being so weak right now, there was only one animal that she doesn't mind letting down her defenses in front of. And he was that large, golden blur that now hovered in front of her, ready and poised to fight and protect her with everything he has.

_Kion_. The name echoed in her mind before she finally gave into the darkness.

The teenage lion growled fiercely at the clan of seven hyenas that jumped at the sight of him. "Janja!" Kion called him out. "You hurt my friend, and now, you're going to regret it."

"Kion?!" Janja exclaimed. The golden prince just deepened his snarl at his long-time enemy as he maintained his defensive position in front of his injured friend. But then, the hyena leader just gave him a dastardly little smirk.

"Well, I'll admit, you have grown from that annoying little furball into someone worthy of a real fight." He said.

"Big talk from someone who keeps getting his tail kicked by yours truly ever since I was a cub." Kion retorted back.

Janja's smirk was replaced with a growl. "Let's see if I can make you eat those words." He said.

He then charged towards Kion, but the teenage lion only leaped forward and then pounced on him, pinning him down on his back hard. But then when Cheezi and Chungu tried to tackle him, he jumped up, letting them crash into their leader as he got up on his paws again, and then landed on all three of them, pinning them down.

"Geez." Janja's muffled voice came from underneath the two other hyenas. "You've gotten heavier."

"Comes with growing up." Kion answered back snarkily. Then he jumped off of them to deal with the other four hyenas.

Kion quickly dealt punch after punch, one paw swipe after another, his claws out if he needed them. He easily then had all of them down within seconds. But then, Cheezi and Chungu tried to attack him from both sides. However, he just smirked and simply ducked down low, letting them both collide into each other. After that, he straightened himself, having a little cheeky grin on his face.

But then, the smirk quickly vanished as Kion saw that Janja was getting closer to the injured Jasiri, his fangs bared, ready to deal the fatal blow. From then, he saw red tinting the edges of his vision.

"NO!" He screamed and lunged at the lead hyena, the two of them rolling away from Jasiri. After a few moments of struggling, the lion had his enemy pinned back onto his back, his claws slightly digging into his shoulders. There was a cold snarl on his face as he glared at him.

"If you come near her again, I will not hesitate to claw your eyes out." He threatened coldly, making Janja gulp nervously. Then, he pounded him on the head, making him dizzy.

Kion got off of him and went over to Jasiri. He gently nudged her, but there was no response. Now, he got a better look at her. Despite the bloody scratches on her body, she was just as pretty as he remembered her, maybe even more so. Her mane had grown onto her back, her bangs were longer but still hovered above her eyes, and she still had the strong but sleek form of a fighter.

There was still a faint pulse when he nudged her, so if he could get her some help in time, she'll be okay. Carefully, he started to get her onto his back so that he could carry her out of the canyons of the Outlands.

But before he could attempt to do that, he heard loud and vicious snarling coming from behind him. He groaned in annoyance and rolled his eyes as he turned to face the hyenas, all of them standing back up, as they cornered him and Jasiri.

"Don't you ever give up?" He asked Janja.

"Don't you?" Janja retorted back, a hateful glare in his eyes.

Kion just smirked as he once again got into a battle stance, protecting Jasiri. "Nope." He answered simply as he got ready to use the one thing that can send those hyenas running with their tails between their legs.

* * *

Back at the Lair, the Guard was starting to get a little bit worried. Fuli was even pacing back and forth on the stone ground.

"Shouldn't Kion be back by now?" She asked the others. "It doesn't take that long to patrol the perimeter. All of us could do it within an hour."

"Maybe he's just pushing himself to try and get his first hunt." Bunga suggested. "He could easily get a kill."

"Maybe." Fuli said. She knew that she had helped Kion with his hunting skills as they got older, and with the added lessons from his parents, he was more than capable to bring back his first kill if he wanted to. "But still, he should've been back by now, kill or no kill."

"Maybe I could check on him from above." Ono suggested. "See where he is."

"That would be a good idea, but wouldn't we be spying on him?" Beshte asked. "We did promise him that we'll let him do this by himself. And he would've let us know if he needed any help."

"Good point." Ono said.

"Well, how will we know if Kion needs help?" Bunga asked.

Right after he had said that, there was a thunderous roar echoing from far off in the distance. The Roar of the Elders.

"Oh, I guess that's how." Bunga said.

"Let's move, guys!" Fuli ordered.

Quickly, the Lion Guard left their Lair and they immediately came face to face with the royal family, who had come out of Pride Rock when they heard the Roar.

Simba was the first to speak up. "We all heard it, too." He said. "Find my son and make sure he's all right."

"We will." Fuli assured the King. "Til the Pride Lands' end…"

"Lion Guard defend!" The other exclaimed their battle cry as they hurried off.

"I'll see where he is!" Ono said, flying high above.

When he was high enough, he used his eyesight to get a better look of where Kion might be. Eventually, he did find him, but he was very surprised to see where he was.

"_Hapana!_" He exclaimed. "Kion's in the Outlands, fighting against Janja and his hyenas!"

"What is Kion doing in the Outlands?" Beshte asked, wondering why their friend was there instead of the Pride Lands.

"I don't know, but whatever it is, it can't be good." Ono said, coming back down to his team.

"Well, let's hurry over there and see if he needs any back-up." Bunga said.

"Lead the way, Ono." Fuli commanded.

"Affirmative." Ono said, saluting to her and began leading the group to where Kion was.

* * *

Kion roared loudly as he sent the hyenas flying back deeper into the Outlands. Soon, he stopped when he saw that they were all gone.

"These hyenas are like fleas you can't get rid of." He muttered under his breath.

"Uh, a little help here?" A familiar voice asked.

Kion saw that it came from inside one of the steam vents. Worry was etched on his face. He ran towards it and peered inside, and he was surprised by what he saw.

"Janja?" He asked, shock written on his face.

The lead hyena was struggling to keep himself from falling into the lava under him. But he couldn't keep himself up forever, nor did he have the strength to pull himself back up.

Even though Kion was probably going to regret this, he knew what he had to do. Right before Janja could slip and fall to becoming burned alive, the teenage lion grabbed him by his mane with his teeth and pulled him out of the vent. Once he was out, he tossed him away and then licked his own fur to rid himself of the taste of Janja's fur.

"Bleh!" He exclaimed. "When was the last time you took a bath?" He asked. "You do have some watering holes in the Outlands."

But the lead hyena was confused by the young lion's actions from a few seconds earlier. "You, you saved me?" He asked.

Kion got rid of the taste from his tongue, and then faced his enemy with a neutral expression on his face. "I still respect the Circle of Life." He answered. "Even the lives of those who don't."

Janja gave him a confused look. But then, it turned to fear as Kion took one step closer to him, the stone expression still on his face. "Now, get out of here before I change my mind." He said, narrowing his eyes.

The lead hyena gulped nervously at that cold statement and quickly sprinted away to catch up with the rest of his clan. Kion watched him leave in a rush, not saying a word. Once he was sure that Janja was out of sight, he turned around and came back to Jasiri.

"Kion!" The lion tensed visibly and looked up towards the edge of the canyon wall. There, standing above him, much to his relief, was the rest of the Guard as they came over to him.

"We heard your Roar." Bunga said, leaping down to his best friend.

"What happened?" Fuli asked him. Then, they all noticed the injured hyena lying by Kion's paws. And from the way that he stood over her protectively, they knew immediately who it was. "Is that Jasiri?" She asked.

"Yeah." Kion said, trying to get Jasiri onto his back. "She was attacked by Janja and his clan. I caught her scent when I was hunting, and came as fast as I could."

"She needs help, and fast." Ono said.

"I'm going to take her to Rafiki." Kion said.

"What?!" The Guard exclaimed.

"Kion, you know your father hates hyenas." Fuli reminded him. "If he sees her, he won't hesitate to finish her off."

"He'll have to go through me first." Kion said firmly. "I can't let her die when I know she can get help."

"Let me take her, Kion." Beshte said. "I can carry her back to the Pride Lands."

Kion looked up at the hippo, and then reluctantly moved away from Jasiri. Beshte then carefully lifted her up onto his back.

"So what are we going to do about Simba?" Bunga asked everyone.

"Let me deal with him." Kion said. "Right now, I think that when Jasiri wakes up, she'll need something to eat."

"You want me to help?" Fuli asked.

Kion shook his head with a little confident smile. "I think I got this." He assured her. "Just take Jasiri back to the Lair. I'll explain everything to my family as soon as I get back."

With that, he raced out of the Outlands to continue his first hunt. The Lion Guard took on a slow pace as they followed their leader.

* * *

Minutes later, the Lion Guard are in front of Pride Rock, Kion having a fine antelope carcass behind him, but having a stoic look on his face as he stood in front of his father, who looked ready to explode. His mother and sister, however, looked very much confused.

"Have you lost your mind, Kion?!" He shouted with a roar, making all of the Guard flinch visibly at his harsh tone, but Kion didn't move a muscle. "You have brought a hyena here?!"

"Dad, she's injured." Kion said, his voice slightly raising. "I couldn't just let her die back there."

"What good reason do you have to bring her here?" Simba demanded.

"I owe her my life!" Kion shouted back at them, making every one of the lions present gasp in surprise. Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself and began to explain.

"She's the same hyena that helped me find my way back home when I was a very young cub, when Kiara and I first went into the Outlands." He said. "She also helped save me from the jackals that attacked me and gave me my scar."

Simba glowered as he looked at the pink, two-pointed scar on his son's face. Then, he looked back at the injured hyena lying limply on Beshte's back. Apparently, if it weren't for this hyena, Kion would've died years ago as a cub. Then, he looked back at his son. His amber eyes were silently pleading with him.

"It's just until she's recovered from her injuries." Kion added, hoping that his proposition will ensure that his father will allow her. "She'll stay with us in the Lair under constant surveillance. Then when she's better, we will personally escort her back to the Outlands."

Simba narrowed his eyes at his son, and he returned it. "I know you can trust me, Dad." He said. "You can still trust me now."

The King turned away, deep in thought. Nala then stepped up to her mate. Her son did have a point. And she trusted him inexplicably.

"Simba, you know you owe this hyena your son's life." She said. "And you do trust our son's judgment. He must be telling the truth."

"Mom's right." Kiara piped up, appearing next to her mother. "If she was anything like the others, Kion wouldn't be standing with us right now."

Simba took a long, deep breath and exhaled sharply. He then turned to his son.

"I trust you, son." He said. "But you know what will happen if she does anything out of bounds. The second I see she did something wrong, I won't hesitate to kick her back to the Outlands, healed or not."

Kion felt a huge weight lift off his shoulders, and he had to hide the urge to give a big, relieved smile. That certainly was better than what he thought might happen. So he'll take it.

"Thanks, Dad." He said. He then turned back to the Guard. "Ono, go and get Rafiki. The rest of you, make sure that Jasiri is as comfortable as possible in the Lair."

"Right away, Kion." Ono saluted and took off to the sky.

The others carefully made their way down to the Lair to make sure that Jasiri was comfortable when the mjuzi arrived to check on her injuries. Kion then turned around to follow, dragging the antelope carcass with him by the neck.

"On a brighter note, Kion." His mother called to him, making him stop and put down his catch. "Congratulations on your first hunt."

Kion smiled at her. "Thanks, Mom."

"Now I have to make a really good impression if I want to do as well as you on my first hunt." Kiara added, giving her brother a teasing smirk.

He just simply rolled his eyes at his sister's comment, a smile on his face. "You better." He said. "Or you'll make yourself look really bad."

"Oh, I will!" Kiara playfully called back to him as Kion once again picked up his kill and dragged it down to the Lair, briefly rolling his eyes with the same playful manner at her.

She has to. Even though she and Kion were on much better terms, and now closer than ever, she still had some self-pride in her. And she wasn't going to let her little brother outshine her this time.

* * *

**A/N: The next chapter will have Jasiri waking up and knowing of her situation. No "Sisi Ni Sawa" just yet, we need one more character to hear it. But soon, we'll have Kiara going on her first hunt.**

**And I looked it up, it's true. Male lions do hunt, but they usually do it on their own and not very often. And I think I gave a reasonable enough explanation to Kion's slow developing mane.**

**So I guess I'll see y'all in Chapter 13. Please leave a review about what you think.**

**Got to fly! ;)**


	14. Safe For Now

Love Beyond Reasons

**A/N: Sorry I took longer than usual on this chapter. I had a little bit of a problem of how to continue after what happened last chapter, but I think I got it all handled now.**

**So now, let's get on with Chapter 13. Roll it!**

Chapter 13

Safe For Now

Jasiri felt like her head was throbbing like crazy, like she had been caught in a stampede. She slightly shifted around, despite how immensely sore she was feeling, and tried to open her eyes. Dusky sunlight was streaming down, making it hard to see for a few seconds.

"Jasiri?" A voice asked her. Somehow, even though it had gotten deeper over the years, Jasiri recognized that voice anywhere. She blinked and turned to where the voice came from.

There, standing beside her, was Kion. He had grown into a very handsome teenage lion. He had gotten some more muscles in his forelegs and shoulders, looking nicely robust, but still pretty lithe. He had grown taller, maybe even an inch above her. His mane still hasn't grown out much, only down to his neck but had gotten larger on the top. But the pink scar on the left side of his face was still there.

"K-Kion?" Her voice was hoarse from not drinking anything all day because of Janja's clan on her tail.

The teenage lion smiled at his friend. "Phew. I was getting worried."

Jasiri lightly shook her head and began to try and stand up. But her legs weren't strong enough to haul herself up. "Wh-where am I?" She asked.

Kion gently nudged her, getting her to relax. "You're in the Lion Guard Lair." He explained. "I found you in pretty bad shape after tangling with Janja and his clan."

Jasiri's eyes widened. "So, I'm…in the Pride Lands?" She asked. When Kion nodded, she gulped nervously. "What about your family?" She questioned.

"My father is trying to be indifferent, since he allowed you to stay here while you recover." Kion explained. "My mother and sister were a little more willing to allow you here, though I think they're also kind of cautious."

"Well, I'll take that than your dad finishing me off." Jasiri said.

Kion glowered slightly. "Please don't joke about that." He said. "You gave me quite a scare."

Jasiri looked down at the ground, slightly biting the inside of her muzzle. "Sorry." She apologized.

Kion just smiled gently. "Well, I'm glad that you're okay." He then pushed a piece of antelope towards her. "Now, you get the honor of having the first bit of my first catch."

Jasiri's eyes widened again. "This is your first hunt?" She asked.

"And my first solo patrol." Kion added. "I could do my first hunt if I wanted to, so I went for it."

Jasiri looked at the piece of meat before her before looking past Kion and saw the fine antelope carcass behind him. "Nice job." She said. "But I can't. It's your catch."

Kion shook his head. "You can, and you will." He said firmly. "After all, you will need to get your strength back."

Jasiri eyed the piece of meat before her. It did look very appetizing, and it was likely that Kion wasn't going to stop until she ate.

"Okay." She conceded. "But only just so you can stop bugging me about it."

Kion playfully rolled his eyes with a smile on his face. "Whatever you say, Jasiri." He said.

Immediately, Jasiri dug into the antelope meat, eating vigorously. She must have been hungry. "So, why was Janja and his clan after you?" Kion asked her.

Jasiri swallowed her bite of meat, and was silent for a few seconds. She wasn't sure if she should Kion the truth that she was a member of his most hated enemy's clan, and that now, she is a rogue because she didn't want to lose his trust in her. And that she has some pretty valuable information about the Outsiders that can be useful. But is it worth Kion angrily lashing out at her for lying to him all this time, and that he probably won't even look at her anymore?

"I was spying on his clan." She said. Well, that kind of was the truth because she was considered a spy for the Outsiders back when they were younger.

"And Janja caught you?" Kion guessed the rest. Jasiri nodded her head. The teenage lion sighed. "What did you learn from Janja?"

The hyena was silent again for a couple of more seconds, but when she opened her mouth to speak again, she was cut off by Fuli.

"Kion!" The teenage cheetah called out to the leader of the Guard. "If you don't get this antelope out of here, or at least eat it, I'm going to dig into it myself! It's making me hungry!"

Kion briefly chuckled at the mental image of Fuli almost salivating at the sight of his first kill. "Take a piece if you're hungry!" He called back to her. "I'll soon share it with my family."

"Thanks!" Fuli answered before she went to grab a piece of the carcass.

Both Kion and Jasiri bit back their chuckles as Fuli tore away a piece and went over to her side of the Lair to eat in peace. Then, the lion turned back to his friend.

"I convinced my family to let you stay here until you're fully back on your paws." He explained. "But only under constant surveillance. You can't go anywhere unless you have me and the Guard with you. Sorry."

Jasiri smiled. "It's all right, Kion." She said. "You did what you had to do. Besides, I don't think I'll be going anywhere for a while."

Just then, Rafiki came inside the Lair, along with Makini, who was holding a large gourd full of water. "Kion. How is the patient?" The old mjuzi asked the young lion prince.

"She seems a little better." Kion reported before turning back to Jasiri to give the introductions. "Jasiri, this is Rafiki, my family's royal mjuzi. And that's Makini, his apprentice."

"Hi there." Makini said cheerfully. "So you're the friendly hyena that Kion would mention from time to time."

Both Jasiri and Kion shared a worried and slightly bashful glance between each other. "How did you know that?" He asked.

"Oh, Rafiki told me about her once, when you went to help her in the Outlands." Makini explained.

Rafiki laughed heartily. "You can't hide anything from old Rafiki." He chortled, slightly ruffling Kion's developing mane.

_Sometimes, it can be a little scary._ The teenage lion thought to himself. "Well, I'm grateful that you didn't tell my parents about it." He said aloud, disguising his thoughts.

"That was your place to say of your friendship with your hyena friend." Rafiki said.

Kion turned towards Jasiri and smiled at her warmly. She returned it just as warm, though there was a strange heat building up in her face.

Just then, Makini saw that the sky was getting darker. As much as this little private moment these two were sharing was kind of sweet, she knew that now was not the best time.

"Uh, Kion?" She asked, getting the lion's attention. "It's getting dark. And I think your family wants to celebrate your successful hunt and patrol."

Kion nodded. "Yeah, you're right." He said. But then, he turned back over to Jasiri. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay, Kion." She said.

Kion smiled again, and then headed towards the entrance, grabbing his antelope on the way. But before he left, he turned towards his Lion Guard, promptly letting go of his kill.

"Remember the routine." He said to his fellow members. "Until Jasiri is completely recovered, you guys will sleep in here every night to provide some extra protection."

"I don't get why Simba is still so on edge." Bunga said. "I mean, you explained that you owed Jasiri a couple of times, and that she was the same hyena that helped you escape the Outlands when you were little."

"That doesn't mean he has to like it." Ono added, still a little nervous from the earlier debacle.

"Keeping a constant watch on Jasiri was the only way that Kion could convince his dad to let her stay." Beshte said.

"At least we trust her." Fuli said. "And who knows? Maybe Simba will eventually open up to her, once he knows what she's really like."

"I wouldn't push it too far." Kion said. "My dad is pretty stubborn, but I hope that he at least gives her a chance. I already know that Kiara would."

"Well, that's good." Bunga said. "Kiara will always stand with you."

Kion smiled, remembering the times since The Trail to Udugu up to now, as their bond as siblings strengthened between them. He knows that he can trust her with anything, and that she can trust in him as well.

"Good night, guys." He said before grabbing his antelope again and heading out of the Lair.

The other members of the Guard bade him goodnight as he left. But then, he stopped once more to glance back at Jasiri. She smiled at him gratefully before curling up to sleep while Rafiki and Makini look over her injuries. Finally, Kion left the Lair.

* * *

As he pulled his kill out of the Lair and up onto the rocks towards the caves on Pride Rock, he didn't know that a few hundred meters away, hiding in the darkness of the savannah, he was being watched. By an Outsider lioness.

She had stormy gray fur with a lighter underbelly and slightly darker spots on her face, bright turquoise eyes, and a healthy pink nose despite of the rough conditions she lived in. Her build was pretty slim but strong. Her eyes flashed aqua in the near darkness of twilight as she caught sight of Kion.

Those turquoise eyes widened a bit when she saw the strong, handsome teenage lion dragging a most succulent antelope carcass by the neck and into his family's den. The way his coppery eyes gleamed with ferocity yet also with gentleness and caution, his muscles taut under his fur as he pulled his kill along behind him, and his short but bright red mane putting the last flashes of sunset to shame with how bold the color was. She stayed put where she was, even when Kion had long left her line of vision, her heart thumping.

But when she saw that the sun had already gone underneath the horizon, she quickly but quietly stalked away, headed back towards the Outlands. When she reached the border across Flat Ridge Rock, she was met with the rest of her team, led by a grown-up Vitani.

Vitani's peach colored fur had lost its bright gleam back when she was a cub, but she was always more of a fighter than to look pretty. She had gained a few freckles on her muzzle, and she still had that tuft of fur on her head, leading down into bangs hovering above her violet eyes. She was also the fiercest lioness in the Outsider clan, even rivalling her brother, Kovu.

Next to her was Shabaha, who had a knack of doing some pretty crazy stunts so fearlessly, as if they were nothing. It was like she wasn't afraid of anything, except crocodiles. She also had stormy gray fur with her paws and stomach lighter, but her eyes were a deep blue color. She had a thick dark stripe on her head, along with a tiny tuft, little freckles on her muzzle, and her nose was a dark crimson color.

Then, there was Kasi, the swiftest lioness the Outsiders have in their broken pride. She had dull tan fur with a light gray underbelly, and she was unbelievably lithe and lanky for a lion. Her eyes were a deeper violet than Vitani's, and her nose was a dark pink. She also had three darker spots on her sides, along with speckles on her back legs.

Finally, there was Imara, the strongest member of the team. She had deep gray fur, with her stomach a lighter shade, with darker stripes on her ankles and under her eyes. Her nose was brown, her eyes were blue, and her form was much more muscular and stocky than the other lionesses.

"What do you have to report, Tazama?" Vitani asked her best spy.

Tazama gulped as she tried to push all thoughts of the sight of Kion from her mind. "Well, that female hyena who betrayed Janja, she's resting inside of the Lion Guard Lair, with the Guard constantly watching over her. No way we can get close enough to her without getting spotted by one of them."

"What else?" Vitani asked.

"I saw Kion dragging his first hunt back to his den after he left the Lair." Tazama said. "He caught himself a really tasty-looking antelope."

Two out of the four other lionesses perked up at his name, and they both came closer to Tazama. "Was he as cute as we were told?" Kasi asked her.

"Cute?" Shabaha questioned as if the word was an understatement. "More like hot."

"Seriously, girls?" Vitani asked them in exasperation. "This is supposed to be a recon mission, not a girly discussion about cute lions."

"Oh, so you admit that Kion is attractive?" Imara asked their leader with a smirk on her face.

Vitani froze at her words, and then turned away, hiding the red blush that was threatening to appear on her face. "Shut up." She muttered.

She did remember admitting to her friends back when they were cubs that she thought that Kion seemed kind of handsome back when she first met him. And though she was glaring at Jasiri because she was a hyena, she was also glaring at her because of how close she seemed with the prince of the Pride Lands.

Besides, she somewhat supposed that it was okay for them to talk about males from time to time because they are females, and apparently, her brothers are the only male lions in their exiled pride. They all thought that Nuka was ugly, while Kovu seemed much more appealing. But he was her younger brother, so that was also a definite no.

Vitani shook her head before her thoughts led her further down that path of thought. "Anyway, it seems that everything seems good." She said. "Let's head back and report to my mother. We move forward with the plan."

The other four lionesses nodded, and then all five of them headed west back to their home to give their report to Zira. In just a matter of days, the Pride Landers wouldn't know what hit them until it was too late. And not even Kion and his Lion Guard will be able to stop them.

* * *

**A/N: I know that this chapter was a lot shorter than the last one, but not much was really happening after the solo patrol. But I do have to thank CalvinFuji for giving me lots of ideas for this story, including introducing Vitani's Lioness Guard here.**

**Anyway, in the next chapter, we'll finally get to Kiara's first hunt. Until then, I'll see y'all! Please leave a review about what you think.**

**Got to fly! ;)**


	15. Kiara's First Hunt

Love Beyond Reasons

**A/N: Well, I got this one finished relatively soon. I did get some help from my friend, CalvinFuji, about the last scene since it has been a while since I saw "The Lion King 2."**

**Anyway, let's just get on with Chapter 14. Roll it!**

Chapter 14

Kiara's First Hunt

One afternoon, a couple of days later, it was finally time for Kiara's first hunt. Simba and Kion were both waiting down at the front of Pride Rock, along with all the other lionesses of the pride. Simba took a deep breath, still a little but worried about his daughter going out her very first hunt. Kion gave his anxious father a reassuring smile. If he could do a solo patrol and his own first hunt at the same time, then Kiara could handle doing a simple hunt.

Then, Nala came beside her mate and son. It was time.

"There she is." One of the lionesses said as Kiara appeared on the top of the path from the caves inside Pride Rock.

"Kiara." Rafiki greeted her. She just smiled politely at the old mandrill.

As she walked down the slope towards her family, she was greeted by the other lionesses as they gave her praises and best wishes on her first hunt. When she got down to her family, her mother nuzzled her lovingly.

"You'll do just fine." Nala assured her.

When they broke the embrace, Kion gave her an affectionate headbutt. "Be careful out there, sis." He said.

"I will." She assured him before she turned over to her father, the smile fading from her face. "Daddy? You have to promise to let me do this on my own. Like you did with Kion. Promise?"

Simba was hesitant for a few seconds, but after seeing the pleading look from his daughter, and the reassuring nods from his mate and son, he finally conceded. "Alright, I promise."

Kiara beamed at him and she nuzzled him happily. Nala and Kion smiled fondly at the sight, and Timon and Pumbaa couldn't help but cry at the sight.

When they broke the nuzzle, Kiara hurried over to the ends of Pride Rock, her eyes narrowing in determination at the faraway grazing herds in the distance. She glanced back over at her family; while her brother and mother smiled at her, Simba just nodded, telling her to go on. She smiled at him and took off.

Once she was out of their sight, Simba's smile disappeared as the lionesses left the scene to do their own things. He quickly put his smile back on his face when his mate and son looked at him happily, but it vanished when they both turned away, Nala to rest inside Pride Rock and Kion to head into the Lion Guard Lair with the rest of his team. The worried king turned to Timon and Pumbaa.

"Make sure she doesn't get hurt." He whispered to them, making sure that no one was watching before he also left to head inside Pride Rock.

Both the meerkat and warthog smirked at each other and left the scene, acting like spies as they went to follow the teenage lioness.

* * *

Kion was almost down at the entrance of the Lair, eager to see Jasiri and how she was feeling. She had been getting better as her injuries quickly started to heal. She could now stand up on her paws with very little difficulty and can even take a few steps without feeling any sort of pain. But she was still not allowed to leave the Lair for another day, unless she wanted to collapse from over exerting herself. Even so, when her scratches had healed fully, she still wouldn't be able to handle a long trip back to the Outlands for at least another week. She might've slightly twisted something from her fight with Janja and his clan.

He was also pretty proud of his father for letting Kiara do her hunt on her own without any constant surveillance from the Guard or from Zazu, or even Timon and Pumbaa. He seemed to be less overprotective of her right then. Hopefully, things will go well, and his dad will realize that he had been fretting over nothing.

Also, since she wanted to do this on her own, he decided that the Guard should have a bit of a day off today. They can rest for a short while, and Kiara could have her hunt without any troubles. Nothing could go wrong today.

"Kion!" A sing-song voice called to him.

The teenage prince immediately froze in his tracks, and then bit back the urge to groan and growl at the same time. He knew that voice. He slowly turned around to face its owner.

"Hey, Zuri." He greeted the prissy lioness with a false smile on his face. She was one of his sister's best friends, and even though her taste in friends was still sometimes questionable to him, he still had to be polite because of his role as royalty and as the leader of the Lion Guard.

The peach colored lioness sauntered her way closer to him. Tiifu was beside her, but she didn't dare move from her spot. When her green eyes met Kion's light gold ones, she quickly averted them, a red blush visible on her muzzle. Zuri brushed her tail under Kion's chin, making him flinch in discomfort.

"Me and some of the girls were planning on heading over to the waterhole for a drink." Zuri said, her blue eyes darkening with desire.

Kion felt a chill go up his spine when he heard that. He had a feeling that those other young lionesses are some of his unwanted admirers that will try to get their paws on him the second they see him coming in their direction. The constant desirous looks, the moves they would pull on him; with their tails or paws, made his stomach churn.

"Care to join us?" Zuri asked, inclining her face closer to his.

Kion took a step back from her and shared a glance with Tiifu. She had on a look of sympathy, knowing that even though he was attractive, he would rather be caught in a stampede of wildebeest than with Zuri and some of his more persistent fans.

"As much as I would like a nice cool drink, I do have some Lion Guard duties to attend to today." Kion said, gently pushing past Zuri and heading back towards the entrance of the Lair. "You know, with defending the Circle of Life and all that. You never know when trouble could strike."

Zuri frowned at his refusal and opened her mouth to speak, but Tiifu cut her off. "Of course, Kion." She said. "We both know how important protecting the Pride Lands is."

Kion smiled at her. He knew that even though Tiifu liked him as well, she was more willing to just be his friend than a possible future mate, and that's good enough for him, since he had never any interest in any of the lionesses in the Pride Lands.

"See you later." Kion said before quickly bolting into the Lair before Zuri could try and protest again, exhaling with relief once he was inside.

When he entered the Lion Guard Lair and relished in the feeling of the air around him suddenly turning cooler, he saw Jasiri lying down on a bed of leaves on one of the stones near the wall of Rafiki's paintings. There was a little smirk on her face. She must have heard the conversation outside, and she was going to enjoy teasing Kion about his unwanted popularity among the females.

"It seems like you've gained quite a fan club since the last time I saw you." She teased, her violet eyes glinting mischievously.

Kion blushed in embarrassment and slightly glared at her. "It's not like I asked for it." He said, coming up to her. "I'd rather deal with Janja and his entire clan, along with a pack of crazed jackals, than deal with crazy lionesses wanting to put their paws all over me."

Jasiri snickered at his exaggeration. "Wow, that desperate?" She asked.

Kion only narrowed his glare at her. "Well, expect me to poke fun at you when you have hordes of males down at your paws." He said.

She just narrowed her eyes at him briefly before she turned away, not saying another word. Kion then smirked, knowing that he won this time. He then turned to the other members of the Guard, each of them doing their own thing before patrol starts.

Bunga was swinging around in a makeshift vine hammock that he made, humming to himself while snacking on some termites that he got from the aardwolves.

Fuli was on her usual sunning stone on a small ledge near the pool, trying to block Bunga's loud chewing as she groomed herself, but it was still getting on her nerves.

Beshte was in his pool, trying to catch a quick nap, cooling himself off from the hot dryness of the savannah.

Ono was perched on a ledge, carefully preening himself from his morning flight around the Pride Lands. He had to do it to make sure that Kiara wouldn't have much trouble on her first hunt.

"Lion Guard, we have a slight day off today." He said. "Since Kiara is out on her hunt, we just have to wait and see if any trouble arises. So stay alert."

"Okay, Kion." Bunga said to his best friend, waving his claw before settling deeper into his hammock. Kion rolled his eyes with a fond smile. Of course Bunga will like that.

* * *

Out in the savannah, Kiara was nearing a herd of gazelles. She crawled closer to them, but then accidentally stepped on a stick.

The herd was alerted to the faint sound of the twig breaking, and they all took off like a shot. Kiara struggled to try and catch up to them, but they soon got away. Kiara gritted her teeth as she stopped to catch her breath.

"How did Kion do this so easily?" She quietly muttered to herself.

She sniffed the air and once again began to track the herd. Time to try again.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the long-abandoned Elephant Graveyard, Nuka, Vitani, her lioness squad, Mwoga, one of the vultures from Mzingo's parliament; Cheezi, and Chungu were all standing on a high ledge, overlooking the many steam vents. Vitani and Tazama had their mouths full of kindling.

"Yecch. This place is even creepier since the hyenas ran off." Nuka said.

"Hey! It doesn't look that creepy! In any case, it actually looks more peaceful since we left." Cheezi said, remembering when they once lived in the lifeless graveyard of bones.

"Yeah!" Chungu agreed. "We had to scrounge around the place for food and we only got bones! Not even a chunk of meat in sight."

"I, on the other wing, would have preferred this place than the Outlands." Mwoga said. "There's enough carcasses and rotting meat to feed an entire flock of us vultures!"

Vitani rolled her eyes at having to be around these idiots. "Sheesh." She mumbled before she and her squad leaped down from the ledge towards a steam vent.

Nuka scoffed at his sister's annoyance. "I'm not scared, okay?" He said, thinking that she was thinking about him being a scaredy-cat. But right after he said that, a steam vent loudly hissed, making him whimper loudly as he followed his sister.

"Sure you aren't." Shahaba said sarcastically.

They all jump down next to one of the vents; and Vitani and Tazama drops their bunches of kindling against the edge, waiting until the hot steam ignites the dry sticks.

"I just don't know why we have to be here, that's all." Nuka grumbled. "If Kovu was so special, why does he need us?" There was another hiss of steam as Nuka continued complaining. "I never even had a CHANCE!"

But then, he got his tail burned by a jet of hot gas from another steam vent, and he yelped in pain. This made Cheezi and Chungu burst out into uncontrollable laughter.

"That was an ouchie!" Cheezi cackled.

"Make that a quadruple ouchie!" Chungu added.

Mwoga grabs a single stick from the pile as he landed near a steam vent next to Vitani. "Allow me to assist, madam." He said. "After all, every creature in the lands of Darkest Africa know we vultures are superb pyrotechnical geniuses. And that is why Zira had specifically asked me to lead the charge!"

"Pfft. Yeah right." Imara scoffed dryly while rolling her eyes, not really believing that. "And I'm the empress of Kilimanjaro."

"Wait, you're an empress!?" Cheezi exclaimed. "And you didn't tell us?!"

Chungu quickly bowed down to the powerful lioness. "I kneel before you as your loyal slave." He said.

"It was sarcasm, fur for brains." Tazama said with a huff, and then hit Chungu upside on the head, causing him to yelp in pain. "Imara's not an empress."

"Permission to light up the match, Ms. Vitani?" Mwoga asked, turning his attention back to the lead lioness.

"Hate to break it to you, Mr. Pyrotechnical Genius," Kasi cut in, "but you might want to take a look at your talons."

Mwoga does so and then yelped when he sees that the stick that he was holding had already caught on fire. "Motion to dispose of this dilemma?!" He asked panickedly.

But without waiting for a response from Vitani, Mwoga quickly hurled the lit stick into another nearby steam vent, causing it to erupt spectacularly with a powerful funnel of steam and bits of lava. Cheezi was sent up screaming at the sight before he landed hard on Chungu. Mwoga turned to the others, the lionesses slightly bemused with his slip-up.

"Motion...receded?" He said sheepishly.

Vitani watched the vulture with slight amusement, and then her face lit up as the vent hissed gently, lighting the sticks ablaze. Mwoga grabbed three sticks into his talons before he flew up into the air.

"That's it!" She said, grabbing one of the flaming twigs in her mouth. "Now come on. Kiara has started her hunt. So we have to move quickly."

Nuka grabbed his own burning stick, and then leaned his head over the vent's edge. Just as he did so, it went off, slightly scorching his face and sticking his mane and the fur on his muzzle straight up and a little ashen as well. Cheezi and Chungu cackled at Nuka's misfortune again. But now, he had a slight crazed gleam in his eyes.

"Oooh! Fire!" Nuka exclaimed maniacally. He starts to laugh crazily as he quickly bounded off after Vitani. Shahaba, Imara, Kasi, and Tamaza grabbed their own burning sticks before following Vitani.

Both Cheezi and Chungu laughed as only hyenas would cackle as they grabbed their own sticks and followed the lions with the vulture flying above them. Both start chanting while they ran after the others, "We're gonna burn a lioness!", over and over again as they all left the Elephant Graveyard.

* * *

**A/N: This is a little shorter than I would've liked, but if I wanted to do more, it would've taken me longer to do. Next time, we'll have some more action.**

**Until then, I'll see y'all! Please leave a review about what you think.**

**Got to fly! ;)**


	16. A New Arrival in the Pride Lands

Love Beyond Reasons

**A/N: Sorry for taking a long while on any updates. I'm just trying to get my college work done without drowning in it, and I'm also trying to finish a few stories of mine that are almost complete so that I can have some breathing room.**

**Well, I hope you guys like this chapter. I've been working on it for a few weeks, bit by bit. Roll it!**

Chapter 15

A New Arrival in the Pride

Meanwhile, Timon and Pumbaa were on the lookout for Kiara. The meerkat was scanning the area until he was facing Pumbaa's tail sticking up in the air, making him yelp. But then, both of them began looking around for any sign of the teenage lioness, acting like spies, until Timon was hiding inside a large, hollow log while Pumbaa was a few feet away, hiding in the tall grass near some rocks.

"Tango Charlie Alpha, what's your position?" Timon asked him, speaking as if in some kind of war code.

But Pumbaa didn't seem to get it. "Uh, upright, head turned slightly to the left, tail erect."

"Why do I bother?" Timon muttered, rolling his eyes. He then used his hands like they were goggles and soon spotted Kiara near a small rock ledge on a hill overlooking a giant plain. "Aha." He quietly exclaimed.

* * *

Kiara was trying again to get close enough to the gazelle herd for her to attack. She managed to not knock over a loose rock, but she didn't count on her back leg hitting it over, making it scrape across the ground. The faint crumbling noise was heard by the herd and they all took off again. Kiara jumped forward and struggled to keep up, but they were already out of reach.

Timon and Pumbaa were looking for her, but they were eventually caught in the herd. They screamed and both ducked for cover. "This must be where the deer and the antelope play!" Timon exclaimed.

Once the herd had passed them by, both came back up. But then they screamed again when they saw Kiara standing there, panting for breath and a suspicious glare in her eyes. Both of them chuckled nervously.

"Timon, what are you doing here?" She asked.

"Uh, shopping." Timon came up with an excuse. "We thought of a nice pelt for the den, some throw pillows, a little popurri-"

"My father sent you." Kiara realized bitterly. "After he promised to let me do this on my own, he lied!"

"No." Timon said. "He just doesn't want you to get hurt."

"And yet he's okay with Kion tangling with hyenas and crocodiles at the same time!" Kiara sniped before she sighed heavily. "I should've known he'd never give me a real chance."

With that thought resonating in her head, and maybe just a tiny bit jealous of her brother and that their father would put a watch on her instead of him, she quickly took off towards the western border without looking back. "I'll do this on my own, away from the Pride Lands!"

"Hey, wait! Come back!" Timon called after her as he got onto Pumbaa and they began trying to follow the teenage lioness, calling out her name. But she was already out of sight.

"Oh! She's gone again!" Timon exclaimed. "Somebody's gotta get a beeper for this kid! And yet she wonders why Simba is so tough on her and not on Kion!"

"Still, Kion had proven to be slippery himself." Pumbaa said.

"Yeah, when those two don't want to be found, you don't find them!" Timon added.

* * *

A few miles away, Kiara stopped to catch her breath. She was still pretty angry that her father didn't trust her enough to let her do a hunt by herself. And yet, he let her little brother, Kion, do his first patrol and his first hunt all on his own!

Kiara pushed that thought away from her head. She knew that the main reason why Kion didn't always have someone constantly watching over him was because he was more than capable to do a solo patrol. He's the Leader of the Lion Guard, for crying out loud! He had been protecting the Pride Lands ever since they were cubs, having a lot of responsibility thrown onto his shoulders without much of a heads-up. And yet, he still managed to do the impossible almost every day. Maybe she should talk with Kion later and see what she can do to make their father understand that she could be just as capable to do a hunt on her own. If anyone can help her, he can.

But from further away, the Outlanders and Vitani's Guard were watching Kiara stalk away, having twigs lit ablaze in their mouths, or in Mwoga's case, talons. Nuka began laughing. "Let's. Light. Fires!" He exclaimed as everyone began dragging or dropping their burning sticks along the dry grass.

Vitani and her Guard began cackling evilly as they lit some patches of grass ablaze. Nuka was even forming a circle of fire around him as he sang a ditty.

"Roasty, toasty princess. Roasty, toasty princess." He then threw his stick away when he felt something warm around him. "Hey, is it hot in there, or is it just me?" He asked.

Suddenly, he realized that he was surrounded by flames. "Fire!" He screamed, leaping straight out of the blazing ring and landing hard away from it. He laughed when he saw the flames further away from him, making Vitani groan.

"Come on!" She growled, pulling him away. Then, everyone started to leave the area to head back to the Outlands.

But they stopped when they saw that Cheezi and Chungu were playing with their sticks and embers were flying everywhere as they did so. "En garde!" Cheezi playfully challenged.

"Touche!" Chungu answered back. And the two continued going back and forth.

"Cafe au Lait!"

"Au revoir!"

"Zoot zoot!"

They were interrupted by someone who was clearing their throat at them. Both of the goofy hyenas stopped when they saw that everyone was glaring at them, looking very unamused.

"Well?" Kasi asked, her eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"You two done yet?" Tamaza questioned.

"Are we?" Cheezi asked, looking back at Chungu.

Chungu looked around and saw the blazing flames everywhere. Quickly, he spit away his burning branch. "I guess so." He said.

Cheezi spit away his own branch as well. Then they started cackling as they followed the lions to the Outlands, with Mwoga flying above them.

* * *

Kiara once again spotted the herd of gazelles and was inching her way closing to them. But they sensed her presence and once more started to run, the teenage lioness on their tails. But she quickly lost sight of them again.

Suddenly, a strong burning smell wafted through the air, causing her to stop running and look around. Then, she saw it. A blazing fire that was building up, and all of the animals were running or flying as fast as they could to escape the thick billowing smoke and the hot flames.

Kiara's eyes widened in horror as she quickly sprinted towards the opposite direction to try and get away from the fire, along with the other fleeing animals as the fire quickly grew closer and closer.

Watching from above a high ledge a good distance away from the flames, closer to the Outland territories, Zira was watching the plan unfolding beautifully, along with Kovu, who was as still and solemn as a rock.

"The plan is in motion." She purred. "You know what you need to do now." Kovu didn't move a muscle as he continued to listen to his mother's next orders. "And if you see that female hyena, the minute that you get her alone, kill her. She is a traitor. Go!"

With that command, Kovu sprung into action and headed into the fire without a word.

* * *

Back at Pride Rock, Kion had left the Lair to get some air and stretch his limbs from his quick nap. When he got out onto the ledge, he saw that his father was pacing back and forth on the ledge, with Zazu watching him. He supposed that he was really worried about Kiara. Kion wondered if he did something similar when he was out on his first solo patrol.

"Don't worry, Simba." The hornbill tried to assure the worried king. "She'll be fine. What could happen?"

Kion opened his mouth to speak, but then saw something billowing in the far distance. He felt his whole body freeze when he recognized what it was.

"Dad?" He asked, getting his father's attention. "Please tell me that isn't smoke."

Simba turned to see what his son meant, and his eyes widened in horror. "No. No!" He exclaimed. "Kiara!"

He turned back to Kion, and saw that he was already taking action. He roared lightly but loudly into the Lair, alerting the Guard, and they all rushed out at once. Jasiri lightly stumbled after them to see what was going on.

"Kion, what's wrong?" Fuli asked.

"Fire at the Pride Lands' border!" Kion reported. "Kiara might be out there somewhere!" Everyone's eyes widened in terror, sincerely hoping that Kiara wasn't caught somewhere in the midst of the fire.

Kion's eyes met Jasiri's, and he could tell that she wanted to help. But she still was in no condition to do so. "You have to stay here, Jasiri." He told her. "You're still not strong enough to move around very much."

Jasiri wanted to retort back, but upon seeing the fierce protectiveness in her friend's light copper eyes, she relented. "Fine." She said, carefully turning around to head back inside the Lair. "Just be careful." She said.

Kion nodded, sending her a soft smile. That made Jasiri feel a little bit better as she disappeared inside. Then, the teenage lion began leading the Guard towards the fire in the distance as fast as they can go.

"Ono! Fly ahead!" Kion ordered. "Find Kiara!"

"Affirmative!" Ono answered, and he flapped ahead of the team.

"Fuli, gather as much of the animals and lead away from the fire!" Kion continued to give out his commands.

"On it!" The cheetah replied before immediately racing away. _"Huwezi!"_

"Bunga, Beshte, you're with me!" Kion continued. "We're on fire break!"

In all honesty, Kion wanted to look for Kiara, but as leader of the Lion Guard, his team needed as much help as they need. Besides, he trusted Ono to find her and get her to safety.

* * *

Kiara's lungs were burning as she coughed out smoke while she continued to run from the rapidly growing flames. The sky was tinted red, and ash colored the clouds above. She really hoped that Kion and the Lion Guard were already on their way. Right now, she needed to get as far away from the fire as possible, maybe even find higher ground.

Soon, she spotted a ledge high that was high above the reach of the flames. She rushed towards it, dodging the growing fires around her. She leaped as far and as high as she could, and she grabbed onto the peak of the rocky ledge with her claws. She struggled to pull herself up, but she managed to finally pull herself up and over the ledge, but it took the last bit of her strength. The smoke in her lungs, making her vision hazy. With one last sigh, she slumped onto the ground.

Just then, she heard soft footsteps coming in her direction. Wearily, she turned to face whoever it was. It was a lion, a male one, and who looked oddly familiar, but that was all she could make of him before she closed her eyes again, exhaustion taking her over, not hearing the growl.

_Kion_. That was the last thought that went through Kiara's mind before she blacked out, as she hoped that the lion was her younger brother coming to her rescue, and not a hostile stranger.

The rogue lion took a good long look at Kiara as he slowly circled around her and carefully lifted her chin up with his paw. She had grown into quite a beauty from the first and last time he saw her, back when they were young. But not was the time to be somewhat admiring the princess. He had a job to do, and a mission to complete.

He looked around to see if there was anyone around, and then carefully grabbed Kiara by the scruff of her neck and placed her onto his back, slightly shifting her so that her front paws were draped around his shoulders.

Once she was safely on top of him, he then took off down the ledge and heading back towards the Pride Lands. He dodged falling, burning trees until he had to jump off a larger cliff and into the river. Both he and Kiara tumbled down the cliff and fell into the water.

The rogue quickly resurfaced, but he then quickly dove back down when he saw the unconscious princess sinking into the river. He grabbed her by the scruff, both of them resurfaced, and began dragging her back towards the shore.

* * *

From high above, Ono was scanning the ground, looking for any sign of Kiara, despite the lingering smoke that was starting to sting his eyes a little bit, making them water. He saw Fuli a few hundred meters away from the fire, making sure that the last of the animals were safe. Then, he saw that Beshte, Bunga and Kion were all trying to keep the fire from further spreading as they either dumped wet mosses and branches, or covered the flames with dirt. But there was not a sign of Kiara.

Suddenly, he spotted something in the river. His eyes flashed yellow as his sharp vision zoomed in on it. He saw a male lion dragging an unconscious lioness towards the banks of the river. He must've saved her when she couldn't get out of the fire quick enough. But then, he recognized the lioness. It was Kiara.

_"Hapana!"_ He exclaimed as he quickly zoomed back over to Kion, who had finally managed to put out the fire with Beshte and Bunga. Fuli had also just arrived from leading the animals away from the flames.

"Kion!" The egret shouted down. "I found Kiara! She's down by the river!"

"Is she okay?" Kion asked, worry glinting in his light copper eyes.

"I think so!" Ono said. "But she's out cold, and there's a rogue male lion dragging her to shore! He must have saved her."

A rogue lion? Even if he had saved his sister, he better get there fast to make sure if the rogue wasn't hostile. "Come on, guys!" He shouted to the rest of the Guard. "Ono, lead the way!"

"Affirmative!" Ono said, and quickly began leading the Guard towards the river, flying as fast as he could.

* * *

Back at the banks of the river, the rogue lion had just pulled Kiara onto the shore. Once he let her go, she started to regain consciousness as she breathed in some much needed fresh air.

"Wh-where am I?" She whispered as she started to regain her bearings, and her strength.

"You're safe." The rogue answered her. "In the Pride Lands."

"The Pride Lands?" Kiara asked as she stood up on her paws, anger coursing through her. "No! Why did you bring me here? Who do you think you are?"

The rogue scoffed. "I think I'm the one who just saved your life!" He answered back.

"I had everything under control." Kiara sniped back, her gaze fierce.

"Not from where I'm standing." The lion answered back, a little smug smirk on his face.

Kiara narrowed her eyes at him fiercely. This lion is really starting to get on her nerves. "Then move downwind."

She turned to leave, but the lion cut her off. She growled and tried to go a different way, but he once again blocked her. She snarled at him, while he had the nerve to smirk at her. They did this a couple of more times before Kiara had enough and got ready to pounce. But before she could, the lion had a confused expression on his face.

"What are you doing?" He asked her.

Hit with a sense of déja vù, Kiara stopped and took a good look at her rescuer. She recognized those bold green eyes, and that brown color of his mane. His fur was a dark shade of auburn, while his paws and belly were a lighter shade.

"Kovu?" She asked, quickly lowering her defensive stance. The rogue lion gave her that familiar, confident smirk back when they were cubs, confirming her suspicion.

"Kiara!" A voice called to her.

Both lions turned in the direction where it came from and saw the Lion Guard coming towards them. Kion rushed towards Kiara, and both siblings nuzzled each other. Fuli however, got in front of Kovu and started snarling, getting into a battle stance.

After their little nuzzle, Kion looked over his sister. "Are you okay?" He asked. She didn't seem too bad, just a bruise here and there, but nothing too serious.

Kiara nodded once before her auburn eyes hardened. "Kion. Did you know?" She asked him, trying her best to keep her cool. If her brother was innocent, and she hoped that he was, she didn't want to start another argument. They had gotten much closer ever since their adventure searching for Udugu, and she didn't want to take a step back to where they were when Kion first formed the Lion Guard.

Kion blinked. "Know what?" He asked her.

So he _was_ innocent. "Dad had sent Timon and Pumbaa to keep an eye on me during my hunt. He broke his promise!" That last sentence, she almost shouted, but she still managed to control herself since she doesn't want to give an impression of taking out her anger on her brother.

_So that was why she was so close to the Outlands._ Kion realized. He should've known that their father would never be so willing to let Kiara go out on her own. Why is he with him one way and with his sister another? Sure, he was a bit overprotective over both of them, but still. Why is he more strict with Kiara than with him? He wanted to say it's because he knows his responsibility and duty to the Pride Lands, but at the same time, he had a feeling that there was something more to it than that.

"And I was doing just fine!" Kiara continued to rant. "Even before Kovu-"

"Kovu?" Kion asked, recognizing the name. He turned to him and saw that he was almost ready to pick a fight with Fuli. He then quickly headed over to them and got in between them. "Fuli, stand down!" He ordered.

Fuli stared at her leader with suspicious eyes, then slowly lowered her battle stance. But her eyes were still narrowed at the Outsider lion.

Kovu looked over at the golden lion in front of him. "Kion?" He asked.

This was the same Kion that his sister's little squadron of lionesses were always talking about, saying that he was the most succulent-looking animal they've ever seen, their eyes crazed and glazed with a weird glint as if they were staring at a piece of fresh meat? He could see why they would act like that. But then again, they hardly ever had seen other male lions other than him and Nuka. Kion had grown up as well, back when they were cubs.

"It's been a while." He said to the younger lion.

Kion gave him a little kind smile, just like the one he gave him years before. "Yeah, it has." He said.

The Lion Guard all looked at one another. This was the same Outsider cub that seemed a little hesitant about his mother's plan to get Kion to join them. He certainly had grown, but something about him seemed to have changed as well.

"Hey! You!" A voice called out to them. Everyone turned around and saw Rafiki sitting on a nearby rock, with Makini standing beside it. He pointed to Kovu. "How dare you save the king's daughter?" A strange little smile was on his face.

Kion turned back to Kovu. "You saved her?" He asked.

"Why?" Bunga asked. "You're an Outsider, even if you and Kiara are old friends."

Kovu put on a humble expression as he slightly lowered his head to the prince. "I humbly ask to join your pride." He said.

"Not a chance!" Fuli snapped at the auburn lion, pushing past Kion and getting closer, right to his face, her eyes narrowed into slits. "You were banished with the other Outsiders."

Kovu returned the glare, but he maintained his pose. "I have left the Outsiders." He said. "I'm a rogue." Then, he turned his gaze back over to Kion. "Judge me now for who I am. Or am I to be blamed for a crime I didn't commit?"

Kion's eyes slightly narrowed in suspicion, while Fuli just snarled at the Outsider. "Fuli!" Kion growled at her, making her slightly back away.

"Settle down, Fuli." Beshte said to the offensive cheetah. "He did save Kiara's life."

"Yeah, you have to admit." Bunga added. "It takes a lot of guts to save someone when you're both supposed to be enemies, and to only have Simba bite his head off later."

Kion thought about this situation for a while. He did owe Kovu his sister's life, and he was the most tame of the Outsiders back when they had first met as young cubs. Maybe he left the Outsiders because he wanted nothing more to do with them, but couldn't leave his pride back then because he wasn't strong enough to fend for himself yet. But still, Outsider or not, Kion knew better than to give his full trust so quickly to an enemy, knowing that his father was already on edge enough with him allowing a hyena to rest in the Pride Lands.

He looked over at Kovu, and then at Kiara. When he focused his gaze back on Kovu, he made his decision. "He comes with us." He said.

"What?!" Fuli screeched, making Kovu smirk smugly at her. "Kion!"

"Until he is proven guilty, he is a guest of the Pride Lands, for we are in his debt." Kion said. "I will speak to my father about this."

"Do you really think he'll allow him to stay?" Ono asked him. "He seemed pretty angry enough when you asked him if Jasiri could rest here, and he's still not happy about it." Kovu almost raised a brow in curiosity. So that hyena traitor was here in the Pride Lands.

"This time, he knows that the law will prevail." Kion said, making the sentence stick in everyone's minds before turning to head back to Pride Rock. "Come on."

Fuli cast Kovu one last vicious snarl, which he retaliated with a smirk, before she began following Kion. Then Kiara did the same, as did the Lion Guard. Kovu then followed suit.

Phase One is complete.

* * *

"WHAT?!"

Simba's roar could be heard throughout the entire Pride Lands, but Kion was the only one who didn't waver at the volume. Even Kovu was surprised at Simba's roar of outrage and how defiant Kion seemed as he stood in front of him.

"You're suggesting that we allow this Outsider to stay here, when he shouldn't be in the Pride Lands to begin with?!" He snarled.

"Dad, considering that Kovu saved Kiara, clearly we are in his debt." Kion said, his tone low but not angry. "And if I remember Zazu lecturing me and Kiara about it, royal protocol demands that all debts must be paid."

Kiara could've swore that she heard Zazu mutter "Blast!" at Kion's little pointing out. The one time that she and Kion had listened to his boring lectures back when they were young when their parents were busy, it's being used against them. It was kind of ironically funny.

"Besides, she wouldn't have been in danger if you hadn't sent Timon and Pumbaa after her in the first place!" Kion continued.

"I was just trying to make sure she doesn't get hurt!" Simba answered back.

"Doesn't change the fact that you didn't trust her enough to do a hunt on her own!" Kion growled, which his father returned.

Kovu looked at this father and son exchange and leaned over to whisper to Kiara. "Do they fight like this a lot?" He whispered.

"Not always." Kiara answered quietly. "But I think Dad's more on edge than usual because of the last time that Kion brought an enemy into our borders recently."

Kovu was about to ask about it, but then he quickly leaned away from her when Simba continued to rant to his son. "I already allowed you to bring a hyena here, and now an Outsider?"

Kovu's brow rose in curiosity. So the female hyena was staying here? He wondered how Kion managed to pull that off, considering the royal family's bad history with them.

"Just like Kiara with Kovu, I owe Jasiri my life." Kion repeated, trying to convey his meaning into his words by enunciating. "And as you said, she won't stay here much longer. It will only be another week before she is strong enough to head on back to the Outlands. But if it makes you feel better, then I'll offer similar conditions with Kovu like I did with Jasiri."

"WHAT?!" Fuli shrieked loudly, making Kovu almost smirk. "Kion, you can't be serious!"

The teenage lion gave his friend a fierce and firm glare, silencing her for a moment before turning back to his father. "He will also stay in the Lair and be under constant surveillance, joining us in our daily Lion Guard duties, until we have his full trust. The minute we learn of something else involving him, you will pass your judgement."

Kovu bit back a growl. Looks like the plan had to be delayed for a bit, since he'll have the Lion Guard breathing down his neck all the time until they deem him trustworthy.

Simba growled and began pacing back and forth, contemplating what to do. There were more negatives than positives in this situation. He looked over at Nala, who gave him a look saying that their son has a point. Then, he looked over at Kiara, and then at Kovu.

When he was a cub, Kion had told him about his encounter with the Outsiders and asked him to tell him about them, since he hardly mentioned them before; only that one time on that fateful day when he and Kiara both snuck off to the Outlands. If they were enemies of the Pride Lands, then he had the right to know in case he ever came across them again. So Simba told the story of the Outsiders to his son. Then Kion told him about his little exchange with Kovu, and how he seemed like the most tame out of all of them, expressing his desire to come back to the Pride Lands only to see Kiara again.

If what he said was true, then maybe he should give Kovu the benefit of the doubt. And he also trusted Kion to keep a tight watch on him just in case if he tries anything. If he does, then Simba has the right to kick him out.

"My father's law will prevail." Simba finally said. "For now, I reserve judgment. We'll see who you really are."

Kovu breathed out. Phase Two is now complete. Kiara gave him a beaming grin, while Kion gave him a more softer but merciful smile. Well, at least he somewhat has the trust of both the princess and the prince.

* * *

A few minutes later, dusk was falling, and the Lion Guard was escorting Kovu down to the Lair, where he is to sleep for the time being. Kiara watched them head down the slope while the rest of the pride headed inside Pride Rock. She then followed the Guard to have a quick chat with Kovu.

"Hey." She called out, getting Kovu's attention. "Thanks for saving me today."

Kovu just rolled his eyes, remembering how she got caught in the fire, which got him to save her in the first place. "What kind of a hunter are you anyway, Princess?" He asked her snarkily. "You almost got yourself killed out there."

Kiara was baffled. "What?" She asked.

"You wouldn't last three days on your own." Kovu continued, his green eyes glimmering with mirth. It was as if he was daring her to try.

"Oh, and I suppose you can teach me?" Kiara asked, a brow raised.

Kovu scoffed. "Well, yeah."

"Hunting lessons?" A voice asked. The two lions turned to see Kion coming up to them. "That, I gotta see. Mind if I help?"

"Why?" Kiara asked, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "So that you can make fun of me?"

Kion shrugged. "Maybe, but I already had my first successful hunt." He said. "I could see what you're doing wrong, and Kovu and I can put in some tips."

"Kiara! Kion!" Simba called for his cubs.

"Coming!" They both answered back before Kiara turned back to her old friend and her younger brother.

"Alright. Impress me. We start at dawn." She said, her eyes glinting with a challenge.

"Fair enough." Kion said before heading back down the slope towards the Lair, while Kiara headed inside Pride Rock. Kovu though smiled before chuckling lowly.

"I look forward to it." He said before following Kion into the Lair.

* * *

Meanwhile, watching Pride Rock from afar, Nuka, Zira and Janja saw the exchange between Kovu and the royal siblings. Nuka was angry that his younger brother let both the princess and the prince go unharmed.

"Did you see that?" He asked his mother baffled, which made her roll her eyes. "He let them go! If that were me-"

"Hush." Zira silenced her eldest, making him flinch while Janja rolled his eyes at the action. "The fire rescue worked perfectly, and Simba fell for it. Now, the closer Kovu gets to the daughter, the closer he gets to Simba. And once he has Simba alone…" She suddenly swiped her claws hard against a nearby tree branch, making it break in half.

"What about Jasiri?" Janja asked.

"She was your problem to deal with." Zira said, turning to the hyena leader.

"Yeah, and we had her, until that annoying Kion decided to show up to play hero and kick our tails." Janja answered back.

Zira thought about it for a moment. "Well then, it seems that she still has the prince's trust." She said. "Even if she is a traitor, she still is carrying out her part of the plan."

"You mean, the more Kion spends time with her…" Janja said.

"The more worried Simba will become whenever he sees his son hanging around with a hyena." Zira answered. "And that worry will soon start to eat away at him, which will provide Kovu with the perfect opportunity."

"Even so, she is still a traitor." Nuka said. "I never liked that hyena. She's not like the others in your filthy clan. She's like, fearless or something."

"Yeah, that's Jasiri." Janja muttered. "She's always been a pain in the rear."

Zira smirked. "Well then, maybe Kovu will take her off your paws then." She said.

Janja raised a brow at her. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"She is a traitor to us and to your clan, isn't she?" Zira questioned back. "And you know what must be done with those who betray your loyalty, now don't you?"

Janja didn't say another word as they all left the area to head back to the Outlands.

* * *

**A/N: Now things are starting to get interesting. And I'm going to have a few more days pass by before the "Upendi" date. Just to show some more interactions between certain characters, and to introduce some as well.**

**Once again, I thank CalvinFuji for giving me a little bit of dialogue for the setting fire scene. I need to learn to write scenes for Cheezi and Chungu. Those two are funny, but hard to write for some reason.**

**I'll see y'all in the next chapter! Please leave a review about what you think.**

**Got to fly! ;)**


	17. Hunting Lesson Fun

Love Beyond Reasons

**A/N: Sorry for taking so long on this. I've been busy with a few other projects. And with some other things in my personal life. Now, there is that dreaded COVID-19 virus that practically has the entire world frozen in place with fear. Well, I'm hoping and praying that this will all end very soon.**

**Well, pushing all of that out of the way, let's finally get on with the long-awaited Chapter 16! Roll it!**

Chapter 16

Hunting Lesson Fun

In the Lion Guard Lair, Fuli was still grumbling under her breath. "I still don't think that we can trust him." She muttered about their current situation.

"You said that six times already, Fuli." Kion snapped at her as he entered the Lair with Kovu. "Would you rather have him sleep in the same cave as my family?" The cheetah remained silent.

The golden lion sighed. "Look, let it go for now, Fuli. It's been a long day, and we now have something else to deal with besides patrol tomorrow."

"Yeah." Bunga piped up. "We have to act as both Kovu and Jasiri's bodyguards."

A gasp of surprise was heard as Jasiri laid eyes on Kovu. His green eyes briefly narrowed at her, wanting to announce her as a traitor, but Kion had already jumped towards the female hyena, while Fuli got in front of the teenage auburn lion, getting into a defensive position.

"It's okay, Jasiri." Kion assured her. "You see, Kovu saved Kiara's life today, and as such, we owe him. Until he can be proven trustworthy, he will be constantly watched by the Guard. And you won't have to put up with him for very long, since you'll be heading back home in about a few more days."

Jasiri looked over at the other lion in the cave, who was still narrowing his eyes at her. She briefly returned the glare before turning back to Kion. "I trust you, Kion." She said quietly. "But you must know this: Janja is working with the Outsiders."

Kion's eyes briefly widened. "Are you sure?" He asked. Jasiri nodded, her gaze firm but her eyes wide. Her lion friend then nodded himself. "In that case, we'll keep an extra close eye on him. He says that he's a rogue, but we'll soon see who he really is."

"_Asante_, Kion." Jasiri said. She tried to stand up, but Kion softly pushed her back onto her stomach.

"Rest, Jasiri." Kion said. "While the Guard goes on patrol tomorrow, Bunga and I will be watching you and Kovu. Since Kovu volunteered to give Kiara hunting lessons, that's what we'll be doing tomorrow. So stay close to me and try not to overexert yourself."

"Okay, Kion." Jasiri said, giggling. "You always were a stick in the mud."

Kion rolled his eyes with a light scoff, but there was a little smile on his face. "Someone has to be the responsible one." He said to her. "Might as well be me."

Both of them laughed quietly at the little joke. Kovu watched them with interest. Looks like they were still pretty close, which means that it will get pretty hard to get close to her so that he can deal with her.

"Kion!" Simba's voice echoed from the den above them.

"Coming!" He answered back before turning back to Jasiri. "Sleep well." He said before he took his leave. Then, he walked towards Fuli, who lowered her stance as he whispered to her. "Keep guard around Jasiri. Make sure our other guest doesn't get any ideas."

Fuli nodded, and zipped over to Jasiri and curled herself up a couple of feet in front of her. Then the other members of the Guard took to their own sleeping arrangements. Kion then went to Kovu, who was on top of a nearby rock to sleep.

"See you in the morning." He said to him, smiling kindly before taking his leave and heading up to his family's den.

Kovu blinked at the prince's kindness towards him, even though he was still being cautious. But he brushed it aside as he rested his head and quickly fell asleep.

* * *

Early the next morning, Kovu woke up and then silently stretched out his limbs. After that, he quietly stalked out of the Lair to see if he could get Simba alone. And he was.

He soon saw Simba heading towards the watering hole and getting a little morning drink. He crouched down low, as if he was stalking prey. He took a tentative step forward, and he was about to pounce when something bright and golden appeared in front of him.

It was Kiara. He was surprised that she managed to sneak up on him this time.

"Good morning!" She greeted him cheerfully with a laugh and a spring in her step. "I'm ready for my first lesson. Surprised ya, huh?"

She bounced away, leading Kovu back to Pride Rock. The auburn lion looked back to where Simba was at the watering hole, but he was no longer there. He lowly growled under his breath, knowing that it shouldn't have been this easy.

* * *

When they arrived back at the Lion Guard Lair, everyone was starting to get up and head out on patrol. Fuli narrowed her eyes at Kovu.

"Why did you leave without someone watching you?" She asked.

Kovu returned the glare at her, but then Kiara stepped in. "It's alright, Fuli." She assured the cheetah. "I was watching him the whole time."

Kovu was once again startled by her kindness towards him. But before he could speak, Kion came into the Lair, a bright smile on his face.

"Morning, everyone!" He greeted them with a smile. Kovu ignored the urge to roll his eyes. It seemed that both he and Kiara are happy early risers. "Everyone ready for patrol?" He asked the members of the Lion Guard.

"Ready when you are, Kion." Beshte said.

"Actually, it will just be you three today." Bunga came in. "Me and Kion will be joining Kiara in her hunting lesson."

"Hunting lesson?" Ono asked.

"Kovu offered to teach me." Kiara said, looking over at the lion in question. "And Kion wanted to see it for himself."

Fuli looked over at him, her brow raised in suspicion. "Really?" She asked. "I could give you some pointers, you know."

"Thanks, Fuli. But the Lion Guard needs every member it can spare to keep the Pride Lands safe." Kiara said.

"Besides, Kion and I can keep an eye on Kovu and Jasiri at the same time." Bunga added, looking over at the hyena in question when she perked up when her name was spoken.

She looked over at Kion, who had come over to her. "Are you sure, Kion?" She asked. "A lot of animals will panic if they see me out there."

"Leave them to me." Kion assured her. "Right now, I think some fresh air can do you some good if you want to get better."

Jasiri smiled at him. "Well, I was starting to get a bit of cave fever, staying in here all day for the past few days."

"You see what I mean?" Kion joked, and the two of them laughed.

Both Kiara and Kovu watched the little interaction with curious eyes. Kiara wasn't quite entirely sure what to think of it. True, it seemed that Jasiri was no ordinary hyena if Kion trusts her so much. And she was the hyena who had helped him a few times, back when they were younger, and when Kion first formed the Lion Guard. But maybe she should get to know her on a personal level to see what was it that her brother sees in her. That would be a bit difficult since their father wouldn't allow her, and only allowed Kion because he was the one who offered to keep her under surveillance. Well, she'll think of something.

But Kovu was just plain puzzled to see a lion and a hyena act so friendly with one another. He knew that the two of them were friends back when he had first met them, but even back then, it was a bit odd. And she was now a traitor to the Outsiders' plan. If he ever saw her, then he was to kill her. But after seeing her so friendly, especially with the prince no less, it makes him wonder if he shouldn't, and just move on with the rest of the plan.

"Okay, you two." Fuli said, cutting in. "You guys have fun!" Then she turned to Beshte and Ono. "Let's go, guys!"

When the three of them left the Lair, Bunga turned over to Kion and Jasiri. "You two ready?" He asked.

Kion nodded and looked over at Jasiri. "If it tends to be too much, let me know, and I'll take you back to the Lair so that you can rest."

Jasiri smiled fondly at him, though she did roll her eyes. "Don't worry too much about me, Kion." She said. "I can handle myself."

"I know you can, but still." Kion said as they both started to leave the Lair, with Bunga jumping over to the other side of his best friend. Kiara and Kovu followed them, both of them keeping their curious gazes on the odd pair in front of them.

* * *

A few minutes later, all five of them were out on the savannah, where Kovu was attempting to teach stealth to Kiara. He quietly sighed as he easily heard the barely audible noises of Kiara muttering in pain as she tried to stalk closer to him, while Bunga, Kion and Jasiri watched from the sidelines. As Kiara neared closer, Kovu rolled his eyes, not amused.

"Three...two...one..." He said.

"Gotcha!" Kiara suddenly exclaimed as she leaped over to try and tackle him, but she missed as Kovu managed to duck and tumbled over on the ground, lying on her back. Both Kovu and Kion came to hover above her head, looking down at her.

"You two could hear me... huh?" She asked them, embarrassed.

"Only a lot." Kovu said as he moved away.

"A deaf rhino could hear you, sis." Kion added teasingly, making her narrow her eyes as she got back on her feet.

"How did you manage to do this?" She asked her brother.

"With a bit of help from my friend, who is also an expert hunter." Kion said with a smug smirk, making her playfully nudge him with her paw. "And I always was the star student."

"Ha, ha." Kiara laughed sarcastically while rolling her eyes teasingly. "Don't let it go to your head now, little bro." She said.

Then Kovu got her attention back on the lesson. "You're still breathing too hard." He said to Kiara. "Relax...feel the earth under your paws...so it doesn't shift and make noise."

Kiara follows his example, feeling the ground beneath her, loosening her muscles. A flock of birds then interrupted them, alighting beyond a nearby hill. Kovu then smirked at the opportunity.

"Ssshh. Watch the master...and learn." He said.

The auburn lion then began to run silently down into a gully, then up on the other side. Leaping over the ridgetop, he pounced with claws fully extended…. right down on top of Timon, who is foraging for bugs there, making him scream.

"Aaaahhhh!"

Kovu immediately froze in the position in which he hit the ground, with his mouth agape, and he skidded to a halt with Timon between his forelegs.

"Don't eat me! Please!" Timon begged. "I...I...I never really met your tyrant. I mean, uh- Scar. Scar. Oh, heck of a guy. A little moody, but I…"

Just then, Kiara and Kion came over to him, with Bunga and Jasiri following close behind. "Timon! What are you doing here?" The golden princess asked the meerkat.

"Kiara! Kion! Thank goodness!" Timon exclaimed, relieved to see the royal siblings. "Ohh! Hey...for once, we're not following either of ya. This just happens to be the best smorgasbord in the Pride Lands. Bugs everywhere!"

He showed them the field of bugs behind them, with the flock of birds they saw earlier eating contentedly away. "But, you don't call for a reservation, and- yeesh!"

He then marched down the hill and tried to get the birds to leave, waving his arms around. "Get outta here, ya scavengers. Go on! Shoo! Shoo!" But the birds didn't pay him very much mind. One unconcerned bird even pecked his nose, making it throb in pain.

Bunga then decided to jump in. "Hey, this is my uncles' feeding ground, you flock of flying pests!" He shouted at them, making some of them fly away, but they only moved over to a different spot to continue eating. Bunga huffed and tried again.

Pumbaa was rushing up and down the hill yelling, making some other birds scatter around, but then they came back to land right where they were. Kiara, Kion and Jasiri watched the scene with amusement, while Kovu was bewildered.

Eventually, Pumbaa stopped running to take a break, with a dozen or so birds sitting on his back. "Ohh... Timon, I'm getting tired." He said. "I gotta lose some pounds!"

Timon then got on his friend's back and began scattering the birds away from him. "Shoo! Go on! Shoo! Shoo!"

The three lions, along with Jasiri, then trotted down the hill, with Kiara, Kion and Jasiri laughing at the funny scene as Bunga came over to his adoptive uncles. But then, Timon caught sight of the female hyena.

"Hy-hy-hy-hyhyhyhyhyhyhyhyhyhyhyhyhy...!" He stammered, quivering with fright.

But Jasiri found the act sort of endearing. "Hi to you too, little meerkat!" She giggled. There was something about her laugh that sounded kind of…adorable, and the thought of it was making Kion blush a little bit, but not enough to be noticed by anyone at first glance.

"HYENA!" Timon finally screamed.

Immediately, Pumbaa was alert, looking around the area in a panic. "Hyena, where?" He then finally looked at Jasiri, who was smiling cheekily. "HYENA!"

"SCURRY! SNIFF! FLINCH!" Timon continued to yell. They then proceeded to run around like their heads were cut off, screaming out gibberish as the three lions, one honey badger, and one hyena looked on. The girls were giggling at the sight, Kovu still looked confused at what was happening, and Kion and Bunga were not amused.

Finally, the golden teenage lion had enough. "HEY!" He shouted. Immediately, both Timon and Pumbaa stopped screaming and running, and then turned to look over at the teenage prince. "Jasiri isn't like that. She's a different kind of hyena."

"KID, ARE YOU CRAZY?!" Timon exclaimed in utter disbelief at what Kion had said. "Different or not, she's still a HYENA! They kill for sport and leave nothing behind!"

Jasiri was a little offended by his accusation. "Really? Is that what all of you think?" She asked him. "Not all hyenas are mangy, stupid, revolting scavenging poachers. I'm a living example of that."

"And she isn't the only one." Kion added. "Her entire clan are friendly hyenas who respect the Circle of Life."

"Besides, if Kion trusts her so much, then she's a friend of mine too." Bunga added, coming up beside Kion and Jasiri.

"Well, if she won't eat us up, she's okay in my book." Pumbaa said, knowing that Bunga and Kion are both good judges of character. His friend, on the other hand, looked at him gobsmacked. But the younger mammals smiled at the warthog.

Just then, Pumbaa had an idea. "Hey, Timon! Maybe they can help!" He suggested, gesturing over to Kovu and Jasiri.

"HA! Yeah, there's an idea!" Timon scoffed lightly. "Let the vicious Outsider and the dastardly hyena-!"

Just then, he thought about it. "Hey! Wait! I have an idea!" He jumped off Pumbaa and gestured over to them just as his friend did a few seconds ago. "What if they help?"

Pumbaa nodded before realizing what the meerkat had said. "What?" He asked.

But Timon ignored him as he turned over to Kovu. "You wanna lend a voice?" He asked. "Huh?" Upon seeing that he wasn't getting through to him, he tried to imitate a lion. "Grrr. Guh... Roar! Work with me!"

But Kovu still couldn't understand what he was trying to imply. So then, Kiara clarified for him.

"Like this." She said, and then let out a loud roar. After hearing it, some of the birds immediately began to scatter.

"Impressive, sis." Kion said.

"Thanks!" Kiara beamed at her brother.

"Whoo-hoo!" Timon cheered as he got back onto Pumbaa's back as they started to chase away the rest of the lingering birds. "C'mon, do it again! Do it again!"

This time, Kovu roared, riling up even more birds and sending them up into the air.

"Yee-haw!" Timon cheered again, while sending a raspberry to some fleeing birds. "Hey Kion, show 'em how it's done!" He called over to the golden teenage lion.

Kion rolled his eyes with a little smile, before letting out a roar of his own. It wasn't the Roar of the Elders, but it was still pretty powerful and loud for a lion of his age. Even more birds immediately took off to the skies at the loud sound.

Meanwhile Jasiri subtly walked up to the same bird that pecked Timon's nose and cleared her throat to get its attention. Upon turning around, the bird came face to face with the hyena.

"Boo." She said simply. Upon seeing the one animal that everyone in the Pride Lands feared, the bird squawked in a panic, and quickly flew off, making her laugh.

Soon, everyone was running down the hill, laughing and chasing birds. Jasiri was sticking close to Kion, while Bunga was riding on his back, with Kiara on the other side of him, while Kovu was on her left. The auburn lion was pretty clueless as to what was going on.

"Why are we doing this?" He asked. "What's the point of this training?"

Kiara laughed at that. "Training? This is just for fun!" She then squealed as more birds flew out of the way, feeling the wind in her fur.

But to Kovu, the word itself sounded a little foreign to him. "Fun?"

Just then, they catched up to Timon and Pumbaa, and Bunga jumped off Kion's back onto Pumbaa's as Timon grabbed onto a bird's leg and began flying through the air.

"Yeesh, kid. Ya gotta get out more often." Timon said to Kovu. "Fun! Yeehaw!"

As the group continued their chase, Kovu eventually got into it, whooping out loud and laughing with the others. Timon landed back on Pumbaa and Bunga leaped through the air, landing back onto Kion.

Everyone kept on running as they entered a chasm of rocks, having the time of their lives. That is, until they came to a screeching halt as they encountered a group of rhinos, the birds blowing their own raspberries at them.

"Uh-oh." Kiara muttered as she and the other Pride Landers recognized this particular crash of rhinos.

"Well well well, look at what we got 'ere, fellas!" The leader of the herd sneered at them, having a bit of an accent. "A couple of putty tats, a pig, two rodents, and a mangy, stupid poacher! What d'ya say we's do to dem?"

"GORE DEM!" One of the rhinos exclaimed.

"TRAMPLE DEM!" Another shouted.

Then, one of the birds on the leader's back spoke up. "I say, gore them first, and then trample on their corpses!"

"Love it!" The leader exclaimed, his eyes gleaming with bloodlust. "RHINOS, KILL!"

"Shall we all run for our lives?" Bunga suggested meekly as they all began to slowly back away from the herd.

"Yeah, let's." Kion quickly agreed. Then, they all started to scream as they began to run again, with the bloodthirsty rhino herd chasing after them.

"Hey rhino!" Timon said to them as Pumbaa sharply turned by using the edge of a small overhang. The rhinos were starting to get closer as they chanted, "Rhinos," over and over.

"Is there any reason why they're chasing us!?" Jasiri worriedly asked Kion.

"Well, not all rhinos are friendly in the Pride Lands." Kion quickly explained to her. "That particular crash is a prime example of that.

"By that, Kion means those rhinos are bullies who don't like anybody or anything and are eager to kill anybody just for the sake of it." Kiara added.

"Oh, that explains a lot." Jasiri said, rolling her eyes at the idiocy of the rhinos' idea of fun.

"LESS YAKKING, MORE PACKING!" Timon shouted at them as they continued to run at full speed away from the rhinos.

Just then, Kion stopped in his tracks, making everyone else stop in bewilderment. "Wait, I have an idea!" The lion prince said.

"Whatever it is, MAKE IT GOOD!" Timon shouted as the teenage golden lion turned about face.

"Get behind me and hide!" Kion ordered. No one argued with him as they turned to hide in a nearby crevice as the rhinos thankfully stopped their charging and were amused at the young teenage lion narrowing his copper eyes at them.

"Aw, look at dat, boys." The rhino leader taunted. "The putty tat's coming to face us? You's gonna come at us?" He challenged the lion prince.

Kion just snarled at him. "I'm about to do more than that!" He shouted at him.

His eyes gleamed with ferocity as he felt the ever-familiar power course through his veins. Then, he unleashed the Roar of the Elders, the power not meant to send the entire herd flying, but to show that he was more than capable of fighting them. The sight of the roaring lions in the clouds suddenly made the rhinos lose their bravado and arrogance.

Kion soon stopped roaring and once again narrowed his eyes at the shaken up herd. "So, you still want me to 'come at you?'" He asked, mocking the previous words spoken to him.

The leader of the herd gulped nervously. "Uh... LET'S GET OUTTA HERE!" He shouted.

Immediately, the entire herd turned around and began running away from the all-powerful leader of the Lion Guard. After they had left, Kion turned to his friends and they all started to laugh at the sight of the rhinos running scared.

"What a blast!" Kovu exclaimed, having not had that much fun in years.

But Pumbaa seemed to have misinterpreted his words. "Oh... sorry." He apologized, making everyone else laugh again.

Timon then climbed onto Kovu's head and gave him a little noogie. "You're okay, kid. You're okay." he said to him.

"Hey!" Kovu playfully chided at the meerkat.

Timon then turned over to Jasiri. "And, y'know, I don't think you're that bad after all." He said to the female hyena.

"Thank you. You're aren't so bad yourself." She said to him before lightly cackling as he got back on Pumbaa's back and they and Bunga headed out of the crevice, moving past Kion on the way. Then she turned over to Kiara.

"A little more practice and I think you'll be ready to hunt with the other lionesses." She said to the young lioness before nudging her shoulder good-heartedly. Because of this, Kiara's muzzle briefly brushed up against Kovu's.

They both blushed in embarrassment at the little action. Both Kion and Jasiri had noticed it and lightly chuckled at the sight of them acting so bashful, keeping as quiet as they could, pretending that they never noticed.

"Um... s-sorr- uh…" Kiara stammered nervously, while Kovu cleared his throat multiple times to try and speak.

"Hey! Are you guys comin' or what?" Timon called out to the four from his spot ahead with Pumbaa and Bunga.

The three teenage lions and the one hyena carefully moved out of the crevice and started to walk side by side, laughing lightly as they followed the other three ahead of them.

* * *

**A/N: I did have a lot of fun writing this, since this is one of my favorite scenes in the movie. Next, we'll have an original chapter since we'll be having a little bit more time pass by before the famous "Upendi" date; this time planned as a double-date. I'm thinking, about two or three days.**

**Once again, I have CalvinFuji to thank for helping me with this chapter. Thank you again, my friend.**

**Well, until the next chapter (whenever that may be since I'm making no promises as to when), I'll see y'all! Please leave a review about what you think. And I wish everyone good health to fight against this virus.**

**Got to fly! ;)**


	18. Jackal Attack

Love Beyond Reasons

**A/N: Sorry again for taking a long time on this story update. I've just been so busy with college work and with some other stories of mine. But I'm not giving up on this.**

**So let's get on with Chapter 17. Roll it!**

Chapter 17

Jackal Attack

Just after they left the scene, Kion and Bunga were both laughing at the fun that they had in a long while. "I know what two certain friends of ours would say after something like that." Bunga said with a twinkle in his eye.

Kion nodded, knowing exactly who he was talking about. Then, at the same time, they said the motto that those two said friends lived by.

"_Kuishi ni Kucheka."_ They then laughed again at the thought of the fun-loving twin gorilla princes that they and the rest of the Lion Guard befriended years before.

"What's so funny, you two?" Kiara asked them as she and Kovu caught up with them.

The two of them didn't answer her as they continued walking, laughing to themselves. Kiara just rolled her eyes fondly at their antics and went ahead to catch up with them. But then Kion continued to tease her as he casually went back towards Kovu, leaving his sister with Bunga. She just glared at him before rolling her eyes again.

Kovu and Kion both chuckled at the latter's little tease at his sister. "Enjoying yourself?" The younger lion asked the auburn lion beside him.

Kovu turned to look at him. "Yeah, actually." He answered truthfully. "This is the most fun I've had in a long time."

He then had a sad look in his eyes, which Kion noticed. "I take it that life hasn't been kind to you." He said softly.

Kovu shook his head. "No." He answered.

Kion just smiled kindly at him. "Well, there's always a way for you to turn things around." He said. Kovu stared after him as he went to catch up with Kiara and Bunga. Timon and Pumbaa were ahead of them, and Jasiri was walking behind them.

"Kion! Bunga!" A familiar voice called out. The two remaining members of the Guard looked above and saw Ono flying towards them, looking very panicked.

"Ono! What is it?" Kion asked the egret.

"Fuli and Beshte are fighting against Reirei and the jackals. They're trying to catch the topi antelope herd." Ono reported. "She brought her entire pack with her. We can't hold them off for much longer."

"Okay, Ono." Kion said. "Lead the way."

"Affirmative." Ono answered.

"Kion." Kiara came up to him with Jasiri and Kovu. "Let us help you. If Reirei brought her entire pack this time, you're going to need all the help you can get."

Kion looked at his sister, who was looking very determined. Kovu seemed to want to help, probably as a way to prove himself that he wasn't the enemy anymore. When he looked at Jasiri, he was a little concerned. The female hyena saw it and smirked at him.

"Don't worry about me, Kion." She said. "A few injuries never stopped me before."

The teenage golden lion smiled at her, knowing that what she said was true. "Okay." Then, they all started to follow Ono towards the other two members of the Lion Guard.

* * *

Further away, a pack of jackals were yipping and barking as they chased some topi antelope. Reirei cackled as she licked her chops. Behind them, Fuli and Beshte were trying their best to catch up to them, but Fuli had already ran out of cheetah speed and was starting to lag a little behind, and Beshte couldn't run very fast anyway, but he was doing his very best.

"This is it, everybody!" Reirei exclaimed with hunger in her eyes. "Some nice, juicy topi meat ripe for the picking!"

She then started giving out orders to her mate and her pups, who had gotten a bit older themselves, both of them a little bigger in size now. "Goigoi, take the one on the right! Dogo, Kijana, you two grab the calves! I got the leader!"

"Got it, dear!" Goigoi said.

"Whatever you say, Mom!" The youngest jackal said to his mother before turning over to his sister as they separated off, following their mother's orders. "Come on, big sister! Last one to catch a topi calf is a rotten guava fruit!" He challenged her with a glint in his eyes.

"You're on, little brother!" Kijana said, smirking back at her brother. "I call dibs on the one on the left!"

"I call right!" Dogo added.

"I call middle!" A voice suddenly cried out.

Dogo and Kijana looked at each other confusedly, wondering who said that before Kiara suddenly rammed into them, her teeth bared and her claws unsheathed. The two adolescent jackals looked nervously over at the much bigger lioness in front of them.

"Oh, hi P-Princess K-K-Kiara." Dogo said, chuckling nervously. "Uh, funny we ran into you after so long. Right, Kijana?"

"Um, yeah!" Kijana quickly agreed. "Th-that's right! Small world, huh?"

"Cut the act, you two." Kiara said sharply, her eyes narrowing at them. "I know that your mother sent you to catch those topi, and I'm not letting you harm any other animal in the Pride Lands just for your gluttonous appetites!"

She then roared loudly as she charged towards them. The adolescent pups quickly turned tail and ran, the teenage lioness following them.

Meanwhile, Goigoi was still chasing his own topi antelope. "Come back, I only want to eat you!" He cackled loudly.

"Eat this!" A voice called out to him.

"Huh?" Goigoi looked around to see who said that before he was roughly pushed to the side by Jasiri. The jackal patriarch quickly recovered from the blow before getting a better look at his assaulter. He then tilted his head in confusion.

"Jasiri? The friendly Outlander hyena?" He asked, surprised to see the angry-looking female hyena. "What are you doing here?"

"Making sure that you don't lay your rotten teeth on those topi." She answered back with a slight but fierce snarl.

"Why?" Goigoi asked her. "We both live in the Outlands because of Simba, so we should be eating as much as we want to."

"Well, I don't!" She retorted back. "You want to get these animals, you have to deal with me!"

Jasiri then lunged at Goigoi, causing the jackal to yelp and begin running away from the hyena, who quickly gave chase. She was soon surprised to see Kovu and Bunga jump in front of him, making him yelp again at the sight of the auburn lion and honey badger. He quickly took off into another direction, and the three of them went after him.

Meanwhile, Reirei had caught up with the leader of the topi antelope, hunger flashing in her eyes as she got closer and closer to the animal.

"Now you're mine, topi!" She exclaimed.

"I have a name, you know!" The leader called back as he tried to keep going, but he knew that he couldn't run for much longer.

"You're name's gonna "LUNCH" when I'm done with you!" Reirei answered back as she was getting closer and closer to her soon-to-be kill.

"Not today, Reirei!" A familiar voice shouted over at her.

Reirei groaned. "Oh, not him again." She muttered in annoyance.

Kion suddenly leaped out from the grass and quickly pinned the jackal matriarch to the ground, growling fiercely at her.

"Why, Kion!" Reirei exclaimed in a sickeningly sweet but obviously false tone, despite being pinned down. "How surprising to see you again! I see that scar is holding up well, really compliments your age now. Makes you look so much older!"

"No thanks to you all those years ago!" The teenage golden lion replied back with a hateful snarl, his teeth bared.

From where she was fighting against Dogo and Kijana, Kiara heard those words, and she felt her heart nearly freeze as she looked over to where Kion and Reirei were. So she was the one responsible for giving him that scar when he was just a cub?

Back during the Kupatana celebration during the first year that the Lion Guard was reinstated, Reirei and the jackals had tricked the Guard into bringing them into the Pride Lands. Kion wasn't sure at the beginning, but there was something about them that was familiar. Then, during the celebration, he had remembered why. They were the same animals that had attacked him, Jasiri and Madoa back when he was lost in the Outlands the first time, when he was younger. He didn't know what animals they were then, but on that day, he did. After Reirei and her pack were sent back to the Outlands, Kion had told his family about his little epiphany. Simba was glad that they sent them away, so that he wouldn't be tempted to punish them for scarring his son.

The more Kiara thought about it, she realized that Kion never specifically said which jackal was responsible for giving him his scar. But now, she learned just who did. Pure anger began flowing through her veins, her teeth bared in a snarl and her claws beginning to show.

"Oh, come on now, you're still holding a grudge about that?" Reirei asked him, still keeping her that sweet façade. "Why can't we just let bygones be bygones and forget the incident ever happened?"

The teenage lioness watching the exchange finally decided to give a few choice words to the one who had scarred her younger brother. Dogo was about to leap on her back from behind her, but Kiara kicked him away with her back legs, sending him flying into his sister, and they went crashing into their father.

Kovu, Jasiri, and the rest of the Guard all looked over at the teenage princess with wide eyes, seeing the blazing anger eminent in her eyes. She then rushed over to Kion and Reirei, who were engaged in a brawl. Kion seemed to have the advantage due to his size, but Reirei had managed to kick him over her head with her legs and send him crashing onto his back. Then she had pinned him down before he could get back up, one of her paws on his face and another on one of his back legs; practically immobilizing him.

Red tinted her vision as she headbutted hard into the jackal matriarch, getting her off of her brother. The two of them tumbled around for a bit until they were locked in a stand-off. The rest of the pack nervously appeared next to their leader as the furious teenage lioness growled viciously at her.

"I'm not letting MY little brother get hurt by you, again!" Kiara shouted, growling loudly.

"Oh! You mean he's your brother?" Reirei asked nervously, giving a brief glance over at Kion, who was slowly getting back on his paws, his eyes gleaming with worry at his sister. "I hadn't noticed."

"I thought you said we did know who he was?" Goigoi asked her.

"Quiet, Goigoi!" Reirei silenced her mate.

"I'm only going to give you one warning: don't ever come near me, or my family, ever again." Kiara said firmly. "Now, GET OUT!"

With that, she gave out a loud and mighty roar that her parents would be proud of. The ferocity of it sent the jackals to whimper in fear.

"Whatever you say, princess!" Reirei said quickly, not wanting to stick around any longer, and turned over to her pack. "LET'S GO EVERYONE!"

"RIGHT BEHIND YOU, SWEETHEART!" Goigoi answered as the entire pack started running back towards the Outlands, whining and whimpering all the way.

Kiara breathed out heavily as she glared hatefully at their rapidly retreating forms. Then, she heard a soft crunching sound from behind her. She slowly turned around and saw Kion coming up to her. He blinked once in surprise, and then a grateful smile appeared on his face as Kiara softened her gaze.

"Thanks, Kiara." He said.

All of the anger left her body when she saw that her brother was alright, and she smiled back at him. "We'll always have each other's backs." She said, giving him an affectionate little headbutt, which he returned, chuckling softly.

Jasiri laughed as she and the others came over to them. "Remind me not to get on your bad side." She teased.

Kiara just giggled at the joke, as did everyone else. Fuli and Beshte then came over to Kion. "Sorry we didn't stop them from getting too far." The cheetah said.

"You two did the best you could." Kion said kindly, smiling proudly at them. "I'm just glad that we all got here in time."

"Thanks for the assist back there, Kion." Beshte said, returning the smile.

Just then, they heard a groan. Everyone turned to see Jasiri lightly stumbling on her paws before falling forward.

"Jasiri!" Kion exclaimed before racing forward and catching her on his back before she could faceplant on the ground. "I think that's enough excitement for you today. I'll take you back to the Lair so that you can rest some more."

Jasiri lightly scoffed at Kion acting so protective of her. It was kind of adorable yet also annoying at the same time. But she can't exactly argue with him since he did have a point.

"Whatever you say, worrywart." She teased lightly, making Kion playfully roll his eyes in rebuttal.

"I'll go back with you, Kion." Fuli offered, coming up to her friend. "Besides, I guess I could use a little bit of rest too."

"Thanks, Fuli." Kion said gratefully. He then carefully adjusted himself so that Jasiri was fully onto his back, holding as tight as she could to his neck with her forelegs.

"In the meantime, Kiara and I will show Kovu around." Bunga suggested. He then turned to Ono. "Hey, Ono. Can you keep an eye out for any more trouble?"

"Affirmative." Ono said with a salute of his wing and then took off into the sky.

Kion then turned over to Beshte. "Maybe you should take some time to cool off, Beshte." He said. "After all, you can't stay out in the sun for too long."

Beshte nodded. "You have a point there, Kion." He said. He could feel his skin beginning to burn under the hot savannah sun.

"We'll drop you off at the water hole." Bunga said to him. "After all, that's the first stop we were going to make anyway."

"Thanks, Little B." Beshte said to the fearless honey badger.

Kion then whispered over to Kiara and Kovu. "Make sure you two keep an eye on Bunga." He said quietly, knowing that his best friend does get distracted easily.

Kiara giggled, while Kovu just snorted. "Sure thing." The teenage lioness whispered back.

Kion just gave them a playful wink before heading back towards Pride Rock with Fuli beside him and Jasiri draped onto his back.

Bunga waved to them before taking charge. "All right, guys." He said, proudly placing his claws on his sides. "Come on." He then began to lead the others towards the watering hole. Kiara just rolled her eyes with a smile before following the excited honey badger, with Kovu and Beshte doing the same.

* * *

**A/N: Just a short little filler chapter for now. Not the best, I know. But it's all I can do for now. Next chapter, Bunga will introduce Kovu to the Pride Lands, while singing a very familiar song at last.**

**Once again, I have CalvinFuji to thank for helping me with the jackal fight scene. Thanks again, my friend.**

**Until then, I'll see y'all! Please leave a review about what you think, and remember to stay healthy during these difficult times.**

**Got to fly! ;)**


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